


Supercat Remix Episodes 1-20

by SupercityCarnival



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Remix, Season 1, supercat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-06-05 00:10:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 67,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6681643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SupercityCarnival/pseuds/SupercityCarnival
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is basically Season 1 through the eyes of Supercat. </p><p>The chapters in this work correspond to each episode in Season 1. </p><p>Some scenes get altered and some get added. Though I'm sure some of these scenes were really in there and had to be edited for time ;-) </p><p>These are meant to be Stand Alone! So they won't all flow together. Different ones will assume that Cat does or doesn't know Kara's secret, etc. </p><p>This is just my thoughts on how some things may have/should have gone. </p><p>Hope you enjoy. I'm hoping to post three to five episodes at a time. At least it will get me through some of the hiatus. Please comment if you like this project so I know if I should keep going. </p><p>Also, huge thanks to @ratherembarrassing for the episode by episode Supercat edits, or this would have been impossible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pilot

**Author's Note:**

> This first episode didn't give us much to go on yet, so it's basically just Kara's inner musings during a conversation with Cat.

“Super-girl?!” Kara stormed into Cat’s office. She was the only one who was ever brave enough to do so. “We can’t name her that!” 

Cat Grant slowly turned in her chair to face Kara. The irritation was evident in her expression. When she spoke her tone was even and controlled. “We, didn’t.”

Kara immediately remembered her place. The gusto she had upon entering the office was quickly extinguished with two words and one look. Cat wasn’t just the Queen of All Media, she was the Queen of The Look. Kara had seen it silence billionaires and high powered politicians. 

This time it had her backtracking. “Right,” she responded, timidly. She tried to convince Cat. “I just, uh, I, uh, just don’t want to minimize the importance of this,” Kara was getting excited. “A female superhero! Shouldn’t she be called Super… woman?”

Cat shook her head, dismissively. Kara knew this routine. This was where Cat acted like she hadn’t heard a word. With passivity lacing every word, Cat said, “I’m sorry, darling, I can’t hear you over the loud color of your cheap pants.” She emphasized the last two words, making her point clear. And that was that Kara had no business telling her about business. 

Kara charged on, accustomed to having to maneuver around Cat’s sarcasm. “If we call her Supergirl, something less than what she is, doesn’t that make us guilty of being anti feminist?” 

At that, Cat looked up, resenting the implication. Kara threw her hands out, “Didn’t you say she was a hero?”

Exasperated, Cat shot back, “I’m the hero. I stuck a label on the side of this girl. I branded her. She will forever be linked to CatCo, to the Tribune,” Cat paused and proudly added, raising a shoulder, “to me.”

Kara knit her brow together, involuntarily thinking that that didn’t sound so bad. But then Cat lowered her voice and put her hands on the desk. Uh oh, Kara thought. Cat continued, “And, what do you think is so bad about ‘girl'?”

Then she sat up straighter in her chair and lifted her hands, indicating herself. With that, she stood up in a graceful and fluid motion that always made Kara envious of Cat’s confidence. 

She went on, “I’m a girl,” she walked around the desk. “And your boss, and powerful, and rich, and hot, and smart.” All the sudden she was standing in front of Kara and the younger woman was suddenly aware that Cat was, indeed, hot. Kara’s eyes dipped down to observe the way Cat’s dress fit perfectly over her slender form. Before she let her mind go farther, her eyes snapped back up to listen. 

“So, if you perceive Supergirl as anything less than excellent, isn’t the problem,” she paused for effect, “you?”

Then she reached out and fiddled with the collar of Kara’s shirt. Kara had to fidget at the contact. If she were close enough for Cat to touch her, then that meant she was close enough to touch Cat. But Cat kept talking with that superior tone of voice and Kara couldn’t stop listening. She never could. 

“And if you’re so smart, Kiera, can you please give me one reason why I shouldn’t fire you?” 

Kara looked away. She couldn’t think of a single reason. Mostly because her ability to think clearly was marred by Cat’s proximity. 

Out of nowhere, new guy walked in enthusiastically, saying. “I printed it!” He pointed a file folder toward Cat. “And it’s in even higher resolution than you’d hoped for.” 

Cat just looked at him, annoyed by the interruption. She turned to walk back around to her desk, as if no one was actually supposed to see her standing so close to her assistant. 

She said to him, “James, you are interrupting a very craftily worded termination.” She gave a small, dismissive wave of her hand. To Kara’s surprise, James stayed put. 

“Kara wanted to surprise you,” he began, “Kara has a friend at West National City Bank.” Cat raised her hands, questioning. James slowly reminded her, “The branch that got robbed.” 

“Right, right, yes,” Kara jumped in, awkwardly. “I went there. You know, it took me a while to park my car,” Kara adjusted her glasses as Cat made annoyed gestures with her hands, like Kara was wasting her time. “Uh, the streets, the one way streets are so confusing.” 

She desperately looked up at James. “You tell it so much better.”

Seeing Kara drowning, James took over. “Kara convinced her source to allow us to use a photograph that she captured.” He opened the folder and showed the image to Cat. 

Her eyes went wide. The surprise clear on her face. She slowly stood and leaned toward the photo. She gently took it from him like it was precious. “You got a clean image of Supergirl?”

Her eyes came up to meet Kara’s. Now that, Kara thought, is a new look. Kara gave her a small smile. Cat put her hands on her hips and chided Kara. “Kiera, if you can’t take credit when you do something well, you are going to be at the bottom of the pile forever.”

Kara lowered her eyes in disappointment. Then Cat said, “But mozel tov,” Kara looked back up and Cat nonchalantly said, “You just bought yourself another day.”

Kara turned to leave, hiding the smile on her face. 

As soon as she was able to leave, Kara was out the door of CatCo Worldwide Media. She wanted to fly. She loved flying. It felt so new and so familiar at the same time. It felt so free. She smiled as she looked over the city and soared among the building. 

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the CatCo building. She couldn’t resist. She knew Cat would still be in her office. She slowed down as she flew by. She saw a flash of color and knew it was Cat, near the window. 

She didn’t make eye contact. It was finally her turn to make a power play. Cat exuded control, poise, confidence, and power every day. She admired Cat for that, and a lot more. And once, just once, she wanted Cat to admire her.


	2. Stronger Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of Kara's inner thoughts. It picks up after this one :-)

Kara was floundering. Drowning, even. She didn’t think that she was. She actually had no idea. She thought she was doing a good job. She had saved Alex's plane from crashing. She stopped the tanker from exploding.

But Cat Grant made it obvious in the content meeting that morning in her office that Kara was, indeed, struggling. Kara had hung her head at Cat’s harsh words, even when James tried to jump in and defend her, reminding Cat that at least she was saving lives. 

“In the sloppiest, most awkward way imaginable, James.” Her tone sounded almost offended. Kara couldn’t help but notice the caption under the story of her latest debacle on the TV behind Cat. Miracle or menace? 

Kara hung her head again. She felt terrible. For a lot of things. She felt badly about the messes she was making around the city when all she wanted to do was help. She felt badly that she probably wasn’t saving nearly as many people as she could because she simply didn’t know how. Yet. And she felt bad that she had disappointed Cat.

There was something about Cat’s approval that had become increasingly meaningful to her. Cat wasn’t one for compliments. Her usual way to compliment someone was to simply not berate them. Kara had had plenty of complaints thrown her way when she had first started. But she was determined to do a good job for Cat. She had a way of making you want to do your best. And, for Kara, there was just something else about her. She wanted to please her. 

But here she was, listening to Cat berate Supergirl, suddenly glad she hadn’t rushed to reveal her secret to her. 

Then as she was leaving the meeting, Cat had told her, “You need to get your head out of the clouds and back behind the desk, where it belongs.”

Great, Kara thought, now I’m drowning at work too. Pleasing Cat Grant on one front was difficult enough. Now she had to please her on two fronts. It seemed impossible. 

The next day, Kara’s muscles still ached from the beating Alex had given her. Even her own sister doubted her. Kara was beginning to doubt herself. 

She was setting up Cat’s lunch tray, still working out the soreness when Cat asked her, “Why are you walking like that?” Kara hid her surprise at the personal question and made up an excuse. 

Then she saw the layout and read the headline out loud. “Supergirl: Failure to Launch?”

Cat said that she didn’t need her to read it to her. She wrote it and she wanted it out to print by noon. Cat wasted no time. 

Kara felt flustered. “I don’t get it. Why do you keep criticizing Supergirl for trying to save the city?” She hesitated before she said, “When Superman started-,”

But Cat cut her off, “He, he, he, him, him, him. I am so sick of hearing about the man of steal. Every woman worth her salt knows that we have to work twice as hard as a man to be thought of as half as good.” 

Kara took the words in. Then said, “But she did save that plane.”

“Yes,” Cat countered, “which she left bobbing in a bay. Engineers are working around the clock trying to remove it.”

Kara pressed forward, trying to convince her. “She saved that tanker from exploding.”

Cat bustled around getting ready to eat. “Causing an oil slick that they’re still trying to clean up.” Then for effect, she added, “Now, I don’t like the fishes, but it does reassure me to know that they are still under there, swimming about.” She used those dramatic hand gestured that always caught Kara’s attention. 

Then she realized. Cat was right. She was messing things up. Being a superhero was harder than she thought. She needed help. She needed advise. And Cat was the wisest person she knew. 

She took a couple steps toward Cat’s desk and slowly asked, “Well, if Supergirl were here,” she paused, remembering to tread lightly because Cat was also the smartest person she knew, “what would you suggest she do?”

Cat’s answer was immediate and to the point. “Calm the hell down,” she said as she appraised her chop sticks. 

Then after another rant highlighting Supergirl’s mistakes, Cat’s tone shifted. “You don’t walk through the door and suddenly own the company. I started out as a Perry White’s assistant. I worked my ass off until one day I finally had a chance to write an article for the gossip column.” She emphasized the last two words with distain. “Every step of the way I had to fight. To work hard, to get better, to come out ahead.”

Kara knew that she wasn’t bragging. She was being honest. Kara hadn’t seen this side of Cat. She talked about her accomplishments, yes. But she’d never heard Cat mention her days at The Planet before. Kara felt privileged to hear it. 

And she also knew that the only reason Cat was sharing it was because she was frustrated too. Kara knew in that moment that Cat wanted Supergirl to succeed. And that was encouragement enough. 

But the moment was fleeting and Cat’s tone returned to its go to sarcasm, “Now catching planes and boats on fire. Hmmm. How about we start small and work our way up.” 

Kara listened. And she heard. Cat was right, again. Kara walked out of the office. Start small and work our way up. She could do that. 

The next day, she had James and Winn listening for emergencies on the police scanner. They guided Kara around the city as she helped with smaller things. She stops an armed robbery. Then helps an ambulance get to the hospital before it’s too late. 

And she sees it. She sees it on the faces of the people of National City. They were beginning to trust her. If felt amazing. This was what she wanted. She serve the city. To feel like she was doing good. She hoped Cat saw. She somehow hoped that Cat knew she had taken her advise. 

Then she caught herself. Cat hadn’t given Supergirl the advise, she has given it to Kara. Again, Kara found herself wishing she could tell Cat. She knew it was too big a risk. She was getting to know Cat better, but the woman was still too focused on the scoop. She couldn’t trust her. 

But Kara could wait. She already had it in her head. One day she would tell Cat who she was. One day, when they had already gotten close enough that Cat wouldn’t be surprised. One day, when Cat was proud of her. Not proud of Supergirl, proud of her. Yes, one day she would tell Cat who she was.


	3. Fight or Flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added scene after Cat's interview with Supergirl.

Cat’s eyes were a little wide and her lips parted ever so slightly. She took her in. The girl in blue and red, hovering not too far away. She did well, hiding her surprise. But, of course, she recognized her assistant immediately. 

She looked different. Very different. She was stunning. Kara was attractive at work, but she kept herself toned down. Now Cat saw why. Everyone would notice her if she walked into work with that bouncy, flowing hair, with her deep eyes free of the glasses and that look of pure determination on her face. 

She composed herself very quickly. Quickly enough that Kara wouldn’t have caught the look of recognition. As she asked Supergirl questions, the firm voice began to falter. There she is, Cat thought. The girl that hides behind her desk, so unsure of herself. 

Cat knew the first time that she saw Supergirl, standing on top of that airplane, that she would need to be tested. And she certainly didn’t mind being the one to do the testing. She baited Kara with a question and got the response she was looking for when Kara shot back, defensively, “No one asks my cousin these questions.”

As soon as the words were out, she froze and looked at Cat. Then she saw the knowing look cross her face. “So Superman is your cousin.” 

Kara had flown off as fast as she could, leaving Cat shouting more questions after her. When she was gone Cat turned back to the car with a huff. Then she remembered she was alone and she turned back around and shouted into the night, “Am I supposed to drive myself home?!”

And Supergirl messes it up again, Cat thought, leaving the most powerful woman in National City stranded on the outskirts of town. Cat stalked over to the car, unimpressed, and got in the driver’s seat. Thank goodness it had already been running and had the keys in it. 

Cat turned the car toward the lights of the city and began driving. At least the drive gave her time to think. She took a breath and tried to slip out of journalist mode. Her assistant was Supergirl. It was like fate had brought her a solution to her problems. Supergirl would certainly save the Tribune. 

She remembered how upset Kara had been at the possibility of everyone there losing their jobs. She should be satisfied knowing she is the one saving their jobs now. Cat wasn’t one for sentimentality, though, Kara had been right when she brought up the Tribune being CatCo’s first acquisition. She knew she could run it better than the idiots who had been running it right into the ground. And a good newspaper was worth the work, and the money. She knew it had a good and dedicated staff. And she brought it back from the brink of closure. Now, Supergirl would make it possible to keep the print empire running in the midst of the digital media revolution. 

She brought her thoughts back around to Kara. Not Supergirl, Kara. What should she do? Should she confront her? Blackmail her? Hmm, there was a thought. She could force Kara to give her all access exclusives or threaten to reveal her identity. 

Cat sighed and shook her head. No. As ruthless as she could be to get the job done, she wasn’t that low. She knew Kara. And she knew that Kara always tried her best. She remembered the learning curve the girl had to go through just to be a decent assistant. She had messed up often. 

One side of Cat’s mouth lifted slightly, recalling some of Kara’s early screw ups. She was always so apologetic and bumbling. It had irritated Cat to no end in the first few weeks. But Kara kept asking for another chance. “Just give me another chance, Ms. Grant. I won’t let you down. I promise.”

And she hadn’t. She went the extra mile every day. Staying late to learn what papers, files, edits, layouts, etcetera needed to go where and to who. She paid meticulous attention to Cat’s needs and learned to anticipate them. Within the first few months, she was bringing her a Lexapro after a lunch with her mother. 

She learned all of Cat’s emergency contacts, including her lawyer, stock broker, and shrink. Also, Carter’s school and father. She was the best Cat had ever had at booking her travel. She thought of everything. She even always made sure a basket was waiting in Cat’s room with some of her favorite snacks, which she also learned.

Within the first year, it became obvious to Cat that Kara knew her better than anyone. She realized that when she went to stock the candy at her bar one morning and found it already done. Or maybe she realized it when she went in search of Advil for a hangover and found two of the pills in a tiny dish, already waiting on her desk. Maybe it was when she stayed late into the night at the office and Kara stayed with her and poured her a drink just before she stood to get one herself. 

That’s when she had started paying attention to Kara. When she saw how much attention Kara paid to her. She noticed how kind Kara was to the people around her. How polite she was to everyone who came into the office for a meeting with Cat, no matter how rudely they brushed her off. She noticed the smile Kara wore every day. She noticed the coffee she drank. She noticed the unceasing effort to please her. 

Cat shook her head again. Blackmail would most certainly not do. Paying more attention to Kara, that would do. After all, the young superhero obviously needed guidance. Who better to provide it? Discreetly. 

Then Cat thought some more. She realized that she would have to make some changes. She would have to… listen. She sighed, loudly to herself. She would have to be… available… emotionally. She rolled her eyes. Fine. If that’s what it would take to help Supergirl succeed, she could make the necessary sacrifice. 

The next day was stressful. She was having writer’s block. Terrible writer’s block. She blamed it on the high pitched noise coming from the vent. She sat at her desk staring at the computer screen, rubbing her temples, willing the words to come to her mind. But there was nothing. Damn it. 

She tried to think back to her interview with Supergirl. She went back over every word, every expression on the girl’s face. She thought about how she looked as she gently flew around and landed on the ground. But the article couldn’t just be about superficial things. People wanted to know who she was. 

There it was again. That noise from the vents. Cat tilted her head up to the ceiling in irritation. Just then Kara came into the room. 

She walked up to the desk. “I was just, um, I’m putting the finishing touches on that party and I need your okay-,”

Cat cut her off with a frustrated, “Shh, shh, shh.” She looked around the room, listening. Then she whispered, “Do you hear that?”

“Uh, no?” Kara replied, a little confused.

“You don’t hear that loud, high pitched, incessant humming coming from the vents that is making it impossible for me to think straight, let alone string together one coherent sentence.” 

“I have pretty good ears, I don’t hear anything.” Kara could see the stress on Cat’s face. Stress over writing an article about her. She was pretty stressed over it herself. 

Cat just said, “Oh, well get maintenance to look into it because it’s driving me crazy.”

“Sure thing,” the girl said back, “I’ll get them right on it. I just need you to approve the appetizers for tomorrow.” Kara was also pretty stressed that Cat gave her two days to plan a massive party. 

“Kiera,” Cat began, as she furiously cleaned the lenses on a pair of glasses, seemingly having forgotten that she was already wearing a pair. “I am very proud of the fact that in my many years of being a CEO, I have never thrown a phone at an assistant. I would very much like to keep that record intact.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Kara told her, always wanting to ease Cat’s load. And she knew that Cat’s refusal to clear the appetizers meant that she trusted Kara to make the decision. Then she smiled to herself as Cat absentmindedly slipped the second pair of glasses on over the ones she was already wearing. 

As Kara left the room, Cat lifted her eyes to watch her. She furrowed her brow, suddenly realizing she had on two pairs of glasses and pulled them both off, redirecting her attention to her assistant. She watched her while she chatted with James. She knew she’d given Kara two days to pull off the impossible. Another test. She knew Kara would pass. 

Besides herself, Kara was the hardest working person she knew. Which was rare in someone her age. Cat came from a generation of people who were taught work ethic from a young age. She had been working since she was twelve in one capacity or another. And there were no participation trophies for showing up. You worked as hard as you could, and you succeeded. You didn’t, and you were left by the wayside. 

Kara’s generation was different. To Cat, young people these days seemed entitled and lazy. Always talking with nothing to say. Then, every once in a while, there was a diamond in the rough. A hard working, forward thinking millennial. And Cat tried to snatch up every one she could to work at CatCo. Kara was one of those. 

Cat’s eyes widened. She made her herself stop the rambling in her mind. She looked back to the computer screen and immediately began typing away, her writer’s block forgotten. 

The day after, the article was ready for print, as soon as Kara proofed it. Cat was sitting on the sofa in her office, sipping on a glass of champagne, fully satisfied with her work and having her own little celebration. The launch party tonight would set CatCo apart from every other news outlet when it came to Supergirl. She was now linked to CatCo. Permanently. 

Kara slowly and quietly came into the office. “I finished proofing this Supergirl article.” Cat caught the hint of disappointment in her voice. Of course, she didn’t need Kara to proof the article. But she wanted her to see it before it went to print. Then, at least she would know it was coming. It was the least Cat could do. She knew there were some points that Kara might not appreciate. 

She just casually and quietly responded, “Please begin my compliments.”

Kara hesitated, always careful to try not to offend the great Cat Grant. “Uh, well, um, the writing is beautiful, lyrical,” she meant it. Cat was a fabulous writer. She always had been. It came naturally to her. Kara knew it was a gift. “The kind of story they’d make you read in journalism school.”

Cat interrupted, sarcastically. “I distinctly heard a slight up lilt, which suggests a hesitation, a vacillation, and maybe an ambivalence.” She emphasized the last word like it was a question. 

Kara hesitated again. She scrunched her face together and said, “Isn’t the tone,” Cat just looked her. Kara tilted her head and carefully finished, “a little nasty?”

Cat looked away and spread her hands over the fabric of the sofa, containing herself. She remembered that this was the part where she was supposed to… listen. She forced herself to stay silent. 

Kara took the silence as permission and charged ahead. “I, I mean, the headline. Millennial Falcon: Every Generation Gets the Superhero it Deserves. Supergirl didn’t tell you how old she is. How do you know she’s a millennial?” Kara asked the question with some nervousness. She knew she had to tread lightly with someone as smart as Cat. 

Cat just quipped back. “Well, if she’s not, then I want the name of her surgeon.” She took another sip of her champagne.

“What about this passage? ‘Supergirl embodies the worst traits of her generation. The earnestness without purpose, the unshakable belief that she has a right to be heard even when she has nothing to say.’”

Kara watched, annoyed, as Cat mouthed the last few words as she read them aloud. 

Cat defended herself. “That is a magnificent point.”

“I transcribed your interview. She’s not like this. You’ve taken her out of context.” Kara was acting like her own feelings were hurt. 

“I’ve given her context,” Cat replied. “I hate to break it to you, but the world is tough. What is she going to do when she has to face a real threat? Oh, I know. She’ll call her cousin, just like every other millennial who calls mommy and daddy the second things don’t go their way.”

“She won’t do that.”

“How do you know that?” Cat challenged her. She wasn’t accustomed to having someone question her like this and it was taking a lot of self control to hold back. Not to mention that Kara’s insistence on the finer points of Supergirl’s wills and won’ts was about to give her away. 

Kara thought. Then she sat down on the opposite sofa. “I think that maybe what she’s trying to say is that when people are scared, or hurt, or in danger they think of Superman. But it’s okay to think of her to.” She was trying to convince Cat. Of all the people to convince, Cat was the most important. She needed Cat on her side. Not because of her pull with popular opinion and not because of how many Twitter followers she had and not because she was her boss. Cat’s approval meant the world to her. Because she was Cat. 

She went on, “and not just as some consolation prize. She is every bit the hero he is. She just needs a chance to prove it.”

There it is, Cat thought. A glimmer of the confident girl she had seen a few nights ago. Her patience wearing thin, she just said, “Well, I guess we’ll find out.”

Just then, James came into the room to tell Kara the florist was calling. Kara excused herself to tend to last minute preparations for the party. 

She didn’t see that Cat’s eyes were downcast as she left. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was disappointed that Kara had only noticed the critical points of the article when the overarching theme had been the hope that she wanted Supergirl to bring to National City. She hadn’t noticed the positive things Cat had written about her exploits thus far, nor the, albeit, veiled compliments throughout the whole thing. She was with Supergirl. Hopefully, she had communicated that in the article.

Kara walked into the party that night nervous. She was late. And she was discouraged. Once again, she had failed to get the job done right. And this time, her cousin had had to swoop in and save her. She was thankful, of course. But she had been left even more unsure of herself. 

As she walked into the party, her mind was focused on one thing. Seeing Cat. Somehow, despite all the aloofness and the harsh remarks about Supergirl, Cat’s mere presence always managed to reassure her. The older woman oozed so much confidence that it seemed to spread onto Kara. She needed to feel that now. 

She heard the music playing as she made her way in. The lyrics echoed her thoughts. 

‘For all the things my eyes have seen, the best by far is you.’

She scanned the room. Her eyes landed on the large cover of the magazine that would be on stands the next day. She sighed a little. No matter what things Cat had written that she might not like, at least Cat had written them. She didn’t leave it up to any other writer. She took it personally. She had written every word that CatCo had printed about Supergirl thus far. And Kara loved that. 

The lyrics kept playing as she searched for Cat.   
‘If I could fly then I would know what life looks like from up above and down below.’

There she was. Looking around like she was looking for someone, too. Then there were the last words she heard playing.  
‘I’d keep you safe. I’d keep you dry.   
Don’t be afraid, Cecilia, I’m the satellite.’

Cat’s eyes landed on her and they looked at each other.   
‘And you’re the sky.’

She looked irritated. She looked beautiful. 

They walked up to each other. Cat put her hands on her hips. “You don’t fool me,” she said, with the familiar low tone that indicated disapproval. Kara’s suddenly forgot why she had been so desperate to get to the other woman. “You’re late. I noticed because there was no one shuffling and mumbling three paces behind me.”

“I’m sorry,” was all Kara could say. 

Cat immediately asked, “Where are the magazines? The paper ones. The ones that can be framed.” 

“Right. The magazines.” Kara’s over worked mind quickly tried to remember. But she was so tired. 

Winn came up and quickly jumped in to save her. “The truth is, Kara is probably still foggy because she was up all night autographing the magazines with the author's name.”

It was true. Partly. She had autographed them all with a perfectly forged Cat Grant signature that she had learned to use when signing for things Cat couldn’t be bothered with. But she wasn’t up all night. It hadn’t taken her that long with super speed. 

“Oh,” Cat said. She still looked irritated. “It’s as if I thought of it myself, Kiera.”

It was the closest thing she would get to a compliment. Cat walked away without another word. Kara missed her already. She kept her eyes on Cat all night. She watched her dance with Maxwell Lord and had to keep herself from melting the ice sculpture she was standing next to. 

No sooner had Cat left than Reactron crashed the party. Supergirl intervened quickly and, with Alex and Hank’s help, she was able to defeat him this time. On her own. 

If only Cat had been there to see it. Later that night, at Alex’s apartment, they sat together eating dinner. Finally. Kara was starving. After forcing Alex to hand over the last pot sticker, Alex said, “So look what I picked up on the way over.” She held the latest issue of CatCo magazine under her chin. 

Kara laid her head back in disappointment. “Did you actually read the article because she says horrible things about me.”

Alex smiled and said, “Very well crafted horrible things.” Her features softened. “Deep beneath that seething distain, she respects you.” 

Kara just looked at her. “Really?” Alex just nodded. It made Kara feel better. Alex was objective where she couldn’t be. 

Then Alex finished, “Supergirl, I mean, not her assistant. She couldn’t give a rip about her-,” Kara silenced Alex with a pillow to the face and they both laughed. Alex always made her feel better. 

Tomorrow was a new day. A new opportunity. One day she would win Cat over. Not Supergirl, her, Kara.


	4. How Does She do it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cat's POV during the train incident. 
> 
> Assumes Cat knows Kara is Supergirl.
> 
> Added scene at the end.

Cat sighed loudly. She needed the elevator to go faster. She had never been so anxious to get to Carter. She tapped her foot in frustration. She had seen the news report about the bombs on the train and at the airport on her phone right after her acceptance speech for the Women in Media award. 

She immediately called Kara to make sure CatCo was live with the story. When she hadn’t answered, Cat called James. He hadn’t answered either. Who the hell was running her company, Cat thought. She found a television and turned it to CatCo’s news network. 

They were running live with it. She sighed in relief. She tried Kara again. Still no answer. Now she was getting nervous. Kara always answered, even when she was flying about. She must be “super” busy. Cat would have to wait. Wait. Wait! Who was with Carter if Kara was out saving the day? 

She dialed Carter’s phone. No answer. She glued herself to the television, calling one of her producers. The producer relayed all the information he could. None of it helped Cat locate either Kara or Carter. She ordered them to get a CatCo helicopter in the air and following the train. A helicopter couldn’t go into the air space at the airport, but at least they could get footage of the train. That was Cat. Always focused on the story. 

She felt a few beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Where was everyone? Several minutes later, the television showed live footage of the train. She knew Kara was either there or the airport. Then the network cut to a live reporter at the airport. She was talking about how the FBI was able to disarm the bomb there. 

Cat nodded her relief. After a brief synopsis, the shot cut back to the train. Only moment later, there she was. Cat watched as Supergirl was using her laser vision to cut the last car free. The train continued speeding down the track while Supergirl stood in the doorway, watching the other car get farther away. The camera panned back to the free car just in time to watch it explode. 

Cat gasped and covered her mouth. Supergirl had saved the train. Then she smiled triumphantly. And CatCo had certainly gotten the best live action. She called the producer again and confirmed that no other news choppers had been around. Good. 

She waited a few minutes and pulled out her phone to text Kara. Her first instinct was ask if she was alright. She furrowed her eye brows and shook her head. Of course she was alright. And why would Cat even ask her that? Kara didn’t know that she knew her secret. So she just typed, ‘How’s Carter?’

The reply came a few minutes later. ‘He’s good. Have you seen the news?’

Cat quickly replied, ‘Yes. More bombs. Just watched Supergirl save the train.’ She knew Kara would be happy she saw. 

The response wasn’t immediate and Cat was resisting the urge to text again. Then her message alert sounded. ‘Ms. Grant, you should know that Carter was on the train.’

Cat instantly felt the color drain from her face. Her heart started pounding. She froze. She looked around for a place to sit. There was a sofa on the opposite wall. She sat down, slowly, and tried to catch her breath. Suddenly, all she could see was the last car exploding. She was overcome with worry.

She slowly dialed Kara’s number. Her hands were shaking. Kara picked up immediately and quickly said, “He’s alright, Ms. Grant. He’s fine.”

Cat just closed her eyes and tried to breath as the relief flooded her. She couldn’t speak for a moment. She heard Kara ask, “Ms. Grant? Are you there?” She could hear the urgency in Kara’s voice. “Did you hear me? Carter’s okay.” She heard Kara hesitate. “I, I’m with him now.”

At that, Cat finally breathed in a deep breath and released it. Carter was with Supergirl. He was safe. 

A quiet, “Thank you,” was all she could say. She had harsh words in mind for Kara later. But they could wait. Right now, she was thankful. “Um, I’m going to go get packed and try to catch a red eye back to National City.”

Kara waited a moment to answer. Cat knew she probably felt terrible. Which she should, Cat thought. “Alright, Ms. Grant.”

Now, here she was, in her private elevator, knowing Carter was okay and still desperate to get to him. It had taken all night to get home. National City Airport was at a stand still because of the bomb scare. No one could fly in or out last night.

She knew she could get a private jet, but she realized she didn’t have any of the information to do so. Kara took care of all those things. She had to text Kara again, ‘NCX won’t take any incoming flights. Can you find me a way home?’

The response was immediate. ‘Of course. I’ll make the calls now. Let me get back to you.’

She had her flight info within ten minutes at a private outfit in Metropolis. The closest they could get her was still a two hour drive away. Kara had gotten her a car and gotten her home. 

Then the elevator opened and there he was. Carter had his arms open waiting for her. “Mom!” She rushed to him and threw her arms around him. 

“Honey! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I was so worried. Are you okay?” Cat pulled back to look him over. 

She touched him a lot, as if making sure he were real. “Are you okay? Were you scared? Did you get hurt?” 

Carter’s eyes were bright and excited. He quickly said, with a smile, “I met Supergirl. She was amazing and she’s so much prettier in person.” He gripped his mother’s arms as he shared his joy at meeting his hero. 

“Oh,” Cat’s tone changed. She pushed him backward towards a chair. She realized in that moment that she didn’t want Carter to have a crush on Supergirl. She wasn’t sure why. “And did you notice any of her other attributes,” she asked, redirecting his thoughts. 

“Um,” Carter thought, “she’s super strong-,”

Cat picked up, “And smart, and brave, and kind, and she saved you.” She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to state some of Kara’s, er, Supergirl’s best characteristics right then. She backtracked. “Tell me,” Cat said, standing up straighter, “what do you think makes her a hero?” 

Carter put a thinking face on. After a moment, he said, “I’d say her legs. Definitely her legs.” Cat’s eyes widened. She didn’t know what to say. Not to mention that her son was checking out Kara’s, er, Supergirl’s legs!

When Carter saw that he had achieved the desired goal of catching his mother off guard, he smiled and stood from his chair. “Her heart, mom.”

Cat laughed a surprised laugh and grabbed his shoulders, smiling. “Oh! That was a joke! You made a joke! Carter, you never make a joke.” She was so happy to see him. She couldn’t help but fawn over him a bit. 

Quickly, she switched gears. “School, school. You have to go to school. You’re going to be late.” She set about making sure he had all his things. “The car is waiting downstairs to take you. Did you brush your teeth?”

Just then Kara rushed into the room, adjusting her glasses. She wanted to say goodbye to Carter before he left. “Bye, buddy,” she said, a little rushed. “It was fun hanging out with you.” She meant it. After the craziness from the previous evening had settled down, she and Carter ended up having a pretty awesome time. 

To both her and Cat’s surprise Carter leaned up to give Kara a hug. “Bye, Kara.”

“Oh,” Cat let out. She had never seen Carter give someone he wasn’t close to a hug. She couldn’t believe it. Her shy, sweet boy had been drawn out of his shell by one Kara Danvers. Well, maybe she could believe it. 

Kara gave a sweet laugh at the hug. When she pulled back, Carter said, “Mom, Kara and I had an epic nerf gun battle.”

“Yeah, we did,” Kara confirmed. 

“And she knows how to play Settlers of Catan almost as well as you do.”

Cat just made a quiet, “Oh,” a bit embarrassed that Kara now knew of one of her secret hobbies. And Kara pressed her lips together trying not to smile at knowing that the hobby was shared. 

“Can she watch me again?” Carter’s voice was hopeful. 

Cat just said, “I think you should hold on to those happy memories, sweetheart.” She gave him one last hug and told him, “I love you. Have a good day at school.” 

Carter headed toward the elevator, waving happily at the both of them, who both waved back with bright smiles. 

The second the elevator doors closed, Kara breathed out a nervous, “Ms. Grant, I am so, so sorry. Suddenly, I looked up and he was just, just gone.”

Cat looked at her, unhappy. “I never should have let you take him in the first place.” She walked away toward her office, Kara trailing behind, apologetically. 

Kara spent the rest of the day just staying out of Cat’s way. She couldn’t tell if she was really in trouble. Cat’s tone of voice said that she was. But usually when she was in trouble, Cat was much more nasty. She didn’t seem nasty. But Kara just narrowed her eyes as she watched Cat work behind her desk. 

She thought she might try something as a final apology. 

Later that night, she flew by Cat’s house and hovered above, scanning to see what they were doing. Carter was in his room. It looked like Cat was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. She watched for a moment, smiling a little at domestic side of the older woman. Who knew Cat Grant knew how to clean. 

She took a deep breath and came to land outside the front door. She pressed the doorbell and stepped back, her heart racing. Stay calm, she told herself, the minute you start your nervous rambling, she’ll know it’s you. 

Cat came to the door and looked through the peep hole. She saw the red and blue figure and her eyes went wide. Supergirl? Here? 

Kara watched through the door as Cat ran her fingers through her hair and pinched her cheeks, then quickly checked her clothes, which she was still wearing from the workday. Kara smiled a little, her nervousness leaving as she saw Cat’s appearing. 

The door opened. “Supergirl,” Cat said. She wasn’t smiling, but she wasn’t not smiling. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Ms. Grant, sorry to drop by unannounced, but I was hoping I could check on Carter.” Kara hoped that appealing to her son would make Cat forget her frustration with her assistant. “He was so brave on the train yesterday. You would have been very proud.” 

Kara saw Cat’s features soften. Then she did smile, just a little. She stepped aside to let Supergirl come inside. She closed the door and turned to the young superhero. 

“I haven’t had a chance to say thank you for saving him. I can’t tell you how grateful I am.” Cat was being sincere. Irritated with her assistant or not, Kara deserved Cat’s thanks. 

Kara replied quietly, “Just doing my job.” 

They watched each other for a minute. Cat took a breath and turned toward the stairs. She called out, “Carter, you have a visitor.” 

They waited for just a moment before he came out to the landing, his face confused. Then his eyes landed on Kara. “Supergirl!” He rushed down the stairs and threw his arms around her. Kara laughed. It was the same laugh she had given when he hugged her goodbye earlier that morning. There she is, Cat thought, and smiled. 

“Hey, Carter, I just wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay after the train yesterday.” Kara was giving him her best smile. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good!” He was so excited. “Um, can you stay for a little while?” He glanced to his mom, who just shrugged a little. Kara saw it and knew it was permission. 

“Absolutely, I can.”

“Awesome, come see my room.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her upstairs. Kara looked over her shoulder back at Cat for a second, with the beautiful, big smile still in place as she was being dragged along.

Cat felt something flutter inside her. That smile. She slowly followed them upstairs. Carter was talking animatedly as he showed Supergirl every superhero thing he had in his room and then explained why he had them. 

Kara listened intently and laughed with him, asking him questions with genuine interest. Kara’s smile stayed in place. Cat just leaned against the door frame of Carter’s room, watching them. She had never seen him interact so freely with someone before. She soaked in his excitement. She hung on every enthusiastic word. She was so grateful to Supergirl. Supergirl had intended it as a gift for Carter, but Cat felt like his happy demeanor was a gift for her. 

After almost an hour of happily talking with Carter, Cat broke in on the two. “Alright, darling, I’m sure Supergirl has places to be.”

He gave a disappointed look, but nodded. They said their goodbyes once again and Cat and Kara left him in his room while they walked back to the foyer. 

“Thank you,” Cat told her. “That meant the world to him.”

“Of course, Ms. Grant. I guess I’ll be going.” 

Kara took a couple steps to the door when she heard Cat firmly ask, “Why did you go after the bomb on the train?” 

Kara froze. She slowly turned. Cat had her head tilted to the side and one hand propped on her hip. “I’m sorry?” She knew Cat was getting at something. She always was. She just wasn’t sure what. 

“The bomb at the airport surely would have hurt more people, but you chose to go after the one on the train with far fewer lives at stake. Why?”

Kara opened her mouth. But she didn’t have an answer. At least, not one that wouldn’t give her away. She closed her eyes and started, “Ms. Grant,” but nothing came after that. 

Cat walked away and came back a moment later with her phone. Kara watched as she tapped away with her thumb. Two seconds later, her phone started ringing from inside the compartment in her boot. She closed her eyes again. 

Cat ended the call and tossed her phone on the small table in the entryway. Then she crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head again, waiting. 

Kara just looked down. She didn’t know what to say. Cat stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. Then she uncrossed her arms and took a few steps toward Kara. 

“You saved his life,” she whispered. “I am forever grateful to you for that.” She paused and then ended with, “Kara.” 

Kara closed her eyes again as she heard Cat say her name for the first time in almost two years. She opened her eyes and said, “I sent my team to the airport. I didn’t trust anyone else to save Carter. I got to him as soon as I could.”

Cat nodded. She wasn’t angry anymore. “You can trust me with your secret.” 

Then Kara asked, “How did you know?”

Cat took another step closer. “Big things. The way you rushed out of the office and Supergirl appeared somewhere minutes later.” Her voice was soft and Kara took it in. She had never heard Cat like this. “The way you have defended Supergirl so earnestly. Oh, and my latte was never hot until Supergirl came along.” 

Kara smiled and dipped her head down for a second. Cat stepped closer and was right in front of her. 

“There were little things too.” Cat reached up and barely brushed her fingers over the scar close to Kara’s left eye brow. Kara’s eyes fluttered closed at the contact. “That. And the way you smile.”

They stood there as endless seconds ticked away, staring. Taking each other in under the soft lighting by Cat’s front door. 

Finally, Cat cleared her throat and looked away. Kara did the same. “Uh, well, Ms. Grant, thank you for letting me check on Carter. And ,uh, I guess I, I, will see you tomorrow.” 

Cat just nodded, with a very faint smile. She reached over and opened the door for Kara. She took her time walking out. With one last glance at Cat, she slowly lifted off into the night. 

Cat closed the door and leaned her back against it. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. Oh no, she thought to herself, my son and I have a crush on the same girl.


	5. Livewire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few added scenes on this one. 
> 
> Assumes Cat does NOT know Kara is Supergirl. Yet.

Something in their relationship was shifting. Cat knew it as soon as it started happening. She could feel it. It had happened quickly. Cat wasn’t sure what prompted it. But something about Kara had changed. She had become more bold around Cat. And more open. 

At first, it irritated Cat. Kara was a girl in a woman’s world in man’s world. Cat had always thought she needed to grow up. That eternal optimism would get her no where in the real world. Except that it was getting her closer to Cat. 

Then there she was, working on Thanksgiving, again. When the power at CatCo had gone out, she knew Kara probably wouldn’t be able to fix it, but she called her anyway. Who else was going to come to the office on Thanksgiving?

Then, when Livewire had attacked, her instincts kicked in and all she could think about was getting Kara out of there and safe. She shielded Kara behind herself as they hid behind a wall. She told Kara to get out and get down to security. She would distract the villain. 

Thank goodness Supergirl had shown up when she did. Livewire was a second away from electrocuting Cat when the superhero had put herself between them. And then saved her when she was trapped in the plummeting elevator. 

When she was out of the elevator, she immediately went to find Kara, needing to know she was okay. She walked out onto CatCo’s ground floor, her eyes darting around. Then she found her. Near the main doors, with a few security guards. She let out a breath and composed herself. She certainly didn’t want Kara to know she had been worried about her. 

When Kara saw her, she quickly shuffled up to her with her eyes wide. She took Cat’s forearm in her hand, “Ms. Grant, are you alright? What happened?” 

Cat’s eyes followed Kara’s hand. She didn’t mind the touch, she was just surprised. But Kara misinterpreted and pulled her hand away. Cat glanced at her, wanting to tell her that it was okay and she didn’t have to move her hand. 

But the moment passed quickly and Cat just said, “Of course I’m alright, Kiera.” She turned on her nonchalant attitude. “Supergirl intervened, heroically.”

Kara’s eyes were still wide when she said, “Supergirl?” 

“Yes, Supergirl,” then Cat softened her voice, just a touch. “Are you alright?” She glanced around the building like she was looking for something, masking her concern. 

Kara smiled a little and quietly said, “Yes, Ms. Grant, I’m fine. Thanks to you.” 

Cat’s eyes shot back to Kara. She looked at her and then gave her a small smile. Another minute passed and several FBI agents began filtering in through the doors. Cat and Kara showed them up to the main CatCo office floor, where Livewire had attacked. 

After letting the agents have free reign through the office for a full fifteen minutes, Cat was done. She saw Kara talking to the man who seemed to be in charge and walked up to them. 

“Excuse me,” she said, a little rushed, “Agent Mulder is it?” She drew it out, getting the name wrong on purpose. Kara could tell. 

“Monroe, Ms. Grant,” Hank patiently corrected. 

“Well, your agents are destroying my building more than Leslie did. I’m assuming the FBI is going to reimburse me for all the damage they’re doing?” She just looked at him, pointedly. It was her way of asking them to leave.

He just said back, challenging her, “We wouldn’t be doing any damage if you had allowed us to relocate you to a secure location.”

Cat became serious. She lowered her tone and spoke a little slower, standing a little taller. “I didn’t get where I am by running and hiding from a fight. Tomorrow is black Friday and CatCo will be open for business.”

She looked at Kara, who nodded vigorously. 

A few minutes later, the agents had left and Cat and Kara were alone again in her office. 

When she heard Cat call her, Kara came quickly and asked, “Did you need something Ms. Grant?”

“Yes, my life back,” she said earnestly, while fluffing a pillow. She was preparing to settle in for the night. “Barring that, there’s no reason for you to stay here, no reason for us both to be miserable.” Ah, Kara thought, so she really doesn’t like being alone on Thanksgiving despite what she’d said earlier. 

Kara quickly cut in, “No, I don’t mind and I don’t really feel comfortable leaving you here alone with Livewire on the loose.”

“You? You’re useless.” It was more harsh than Cat meant it to be. She covered it with, “And I’m sure you’re eager to get back to your family.” She waved toward the door, indicating to Kara that it was okay to go. 

But Kara noticed how Cat then just sat there with her face down and her hands in her lap. She wanted to stay with her, so she said, “Not particularly. Me and my sister and my foster mom got into a really big fight earlier.” She didn’t mean to share, Cat just brought that out of her more lately. 

Cat looked her in the eye, surprised, and said, “You have a foster mother. That’s mildly intriguing.” She crossed her legs, ready to listen. She had been trying that more. Well, with Kara, at least. 

Kara hesitated for a second and gave a forced smile before continuing, “Yeah, uh, well, um.” She quickly debated whether she should begin to trust Cat with the most sacred parts of her life. As much as she respected Cat, it was harder to trust her. 

But she decided now was as good a time as any to start. “My parents passed away when I was thirteen in a, um, a fire.” Her expression turned sad. It was a look Cat had never seen on her assistant before. 

“Oh,” Cat said slowly. She paused, not knowing how to respond. She felt terrible for bringing it up. But even more terrible that someone as kind and encouraging as Kara had to go through it. She looked away before saying, “I’m sorry.”

Kara, never wanting to make anyone feel bad quickly said, “No, it’s fine. I mean, it hurts. But I still feel close with them.” 

Cat watched her as she talked. This was a new side of Kara. Still optimistic, but more honest. Cat never would have imagined someone so… sunny, would have been through something so painful in her young life. She immediately felt her already positive opinion of the girl getting stronger. 

Kara continued, “And my foster mom, Eliza, she’s great with me, it’s just her and Alex.”

Cat stood, immediately understanding. She said, “Mmm, mothers and daughters. Hard.” She looked at Kara empathetically and turned to walk to the bar. 

“Yours must be so proud of you,” Kara said, assuming it must be true. Cat was the most accomplished person she knew. 

But Cat just laughed a little and said, “Well, if she is, it must be on some subterranean level.” She poured a drink and continued. “In her mind, I have never lived up to my potential.”

Kara couldn’t believe it. “But you’re the Queen of all Media.”

Cat took a drink and tilted her head back. She would need another drink if she was talking about her mother. She brought the whole decanter back over to the sofa. 

“An accomplishment that never mattered to her. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I am entirely grateful.” She sat back down. “Everything I am, everything I have is thanks to her constant pushing,” she held up a finger, emphasizing the word, “let's call it. She was never satisfied with me so I was never satisfied with myself. Which is why I keep pushing, too.”

Kara was shocked at Cat being so candid. In all her time with Cat, this was the most personal she’d ever heard her. She knew Cat was a hard woman, but now she knew why. And it made sense. The constant pushing. She knew people could take it because she had. And if you couldn’t take it, then you couldn’t hang with Cat Grant. 

Cat finished with, “Myself, and all the people I care about.”

“Pushing Supergirl,” Kara said to herself, under her breath. 

Cat took another drink and switched topics, “I should have pushed Leslie. Held her to a higher standard. The more awful she was, the more I rewarded her.” 

She looked at Kara and said, “Leslie turning into Livewire started a long time ago.” She nodded. “It’s my fault. I turned her into a monster.” Kara could hear the guilt in her voice. The same guilt she had shown at the hospital with Leslie. 

Cat’s expression changed and she stood. “I need to fix this, I need to talk to Supergirl. Surely the FBI has a direct line to her.”

Kara saw it, Cat Grant was back in Cat Grant mode. “I’ll, I’ll ask them, I’ll ask them,” Kara said, quickly standing.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Several hours later, Cat was back in the comfort of her own home. She and Supergirl had taken down Livewire. She was glad they had been able to work together. 

She sat in her living room, on Thanksgiving night, alone. She missed Carter terribly. But her thoughts kept drifting back to Kara and the short part of her past she had shared with her. In the time she had known Kara she had never known her to complain. Well, until recently. She was never unkind or mean. She treated people with respect, whether they deserved it or not. She gave freely of herself when she had every reason in the world to want to take. 

Cat got up and walked into her home office and opened her laptop. Let’s see, she thought, Kara is twenty-five so thirteen would have been 2004. She searched “Kara Danvers+2004+fire.” Nothing came up in the search engine. She searched several more variations and got nothing. Each try yielded nothing.

Cat narrowed her eyes at the screen. Kara said her adopted mother’s name was Eliza and her sister’s name was Alex. She searched Eliza and Alex Danvers. One hit with both names. It was high school graduation article in the newspaper of a small town called Midvale. The picture showed a blond woman with two younger girls, one with dark hair in a cap and gown, and another that was, unmistakably, a younger Kara Danvers. 

Cat smiled a little at the photograph. Then she remembered her task and searched again. Midvale+fire+2004+Kara Danvers.” Again, nothing. She furrowed her eye brows together. Odd. 

She widened her search. “Kara Danvers+National City.” Several hits popped up. Kara's CatCo employee profile, college graduation, articles published while she was in journalism school, which Cat had already read, a couple things from high school in Midvale. Then nothing before that. 

Cat spent more time searching for anything related to pre 2004 Kara Danvers. She couldn’t find a thing. She thought maybe it was just because Kara’s last name had been different before she was adopted. She sighed. She didn’t have access to adoption records. 

Wait a minute? What was she doing anyway? Cat shook her head and pushed it out of her mind. There was no need for her to know more about Kara’s tragic background. It had nothing to do with work. She closed her laptop and got up to go get ready for bed. She was ready for this day to be over.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few days later, back at work, Kara had prepared Cat’s lunch and brought it out to her on the balcony. 

“Thank you, Kiera.” Cat took the tray and asked, “Do you have anything to eat?” 

Kara almost didn’t understand the question. “Uh, yes, at my desk,” she said, pointing back inside. 

Cat looked at her and asked another question. “Would you like to get it and join me?”

Kara just looked at her with her mouth open and a confused look. After a second, she stuttered, “Uh, I don’t, um, I wouldn’t want to bother you, Ms. Grant.” It seemed like a safe answer. 

Cat’s lips quirked up in the smallest smile Kara had ever seen on a person and she said, quietly, “You wouldn’t be a bother.”

Kara just smiled and looked down for a moment. Then nodded and went to get her lunch. She came back out and sat down on the other small sofa, opposite Cat. They sat and ate in comfortable silence. 

Cat kept stealing occasional glances at Kara. Her mind wandered back to the week before. When Livewire attacked the office. She remembered how protective she had felt for her. She also remembered how Supergirl had appeared only a few minutes after she had sent Kara away. 

Cat narrowed her eyes as she looked at her. No information before 2004, she thought to herself. Parents died in a…

Cat cut off her own thought. She furrowed her brow and shook her head, just a little. It was absurd. 

She looked again. Still, the hair color was the same. So were the eyes, behind those glasses. And Kara had been personally offended at Cat’s treatment of Supergirl. 

It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t. She averted her eyes. 

Then Kara’s voice broke into her thoughts. “I should get back work.” She looked at Cat and added with a smile. “It’s nice out here. I see why you like to come out here.”

Cat just nodded and gave her another little smile. Then Kara asked, “Are you sure you didn’t need to talk to me about something. Or, anything?” Kara still didn’t know what to make about the invitation. 

Cat’s expression softened. She didn’t mean to, but she was developing a genuine affection for Kara. She just said, “No, no.” After a pause, she confessed, honestly, “I just wanted the company.”

Kara nodded with another smile and walked back into the office, taking Cat’s tray. 

Cat watched her go and narrowed her eyes again. She would have to start keeping an eye on her assistant.


	6. Red Faced

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Assumes Cat does NOT know Kara is Supergirl. Yet. 
> 
> Added scene in which Kara doesn't get called out to superhero duty after drinks with Cat. 
> 
> Also, altered scene at the end. 
> 
> Remember that these are stand alone and what happens in this episode has no bearing on the episodes to come. Unfortunately.

Kara had never met Cat’s mother before. In fact, she hadn’t even heard Cat talk about her until recently. And it wasn’t exactly a glowing reference. So when Cat’s mother came to National City for a couple days on a book promotion tour, Kara was very curious to see what she was really like. 

It was almost the end of the day. Kara was looking forward to the office game night that evening. Well, sort of. It would be different having Lucy there, too. But James wanted her there, so she would deal. Besides, Kara was getting over her crush on James. It was slowly being replaced by another crush. 

She and Cat walked, elbow to elbow, through the bullpen toward Cat’s office. 

“Dinner with your mother is confirmed for eight. I got you a table right on the beach,” Kara told her as they walked. Cat had been edgy during the day after seeing her mother that morning. So Kara called the restaurant and made sure they would have the best table in the place. She thought maybe a nice venue would help ease the tension between them. 

“Oh great,” Cat responded, sarcastically. She had been even more sarcastic than usual today. “Maybe the roar of the ocean will drown out the sound of her voice, or maybe it will just drown her. Or me.” 

They walked into the office and Cat’s mother greeted them. Well, greeted Cat. 

“Kitty, darling.” She was sitting on the sofa, reading over a manuscript. Kara didn’t know much about her, but she knew that she was an editor with a major publishing company. 

“Mother,” Cat said back and leaned down to casually kiss her cheek. 

But her mother cut her short with, “Let’s not get carried away. We’ve already seen each other once today.” Kara recognized the dismissive tone. That’s where Cat got it. 

Kara furrowed her eye brows a little at the coldness of it. She knew Cat and her mother hadn’t seen each other in very close to a year. And Carter hadn’t seen his grandmother in even longer than that. It seemed to Kara that Katherine Grant would welcome the affection from her daughter.

Cat ignored the attitude and just said, “You’re early, mother. Dinner isn’t until eight.” Cat was annoyed at having to spend more time with her mother than allotted. 

Her mother looked up from her work and said, casually, “Listen, sweetheart, there’s been a change of plans. As it turns out, Toni Morrison is in town. Can you believe it?”

“Ohh,” Cat responded, again, dripping with sarcasm, “I’m practically shaking.” She slipped on a pair of glasses, hoping to get a least a little more work done before they had to leave for dinner. 

“Anyway,” her mother said, ignoring the sarcasm, “Toni is having an impromptu little dinner party at the house she’s rented in Montecito, just a few old friends.”

Cat slipped the glasses back off. “Mother, that is at least two hours away, we’re going to have to leave right now.” Cat stood, preparing to leave. Irritated as she was, her mother was here and they rarely were able to spend time together. She knew she should make the most of it.

“Oh dear. Uh, Toni wanted to keep this an intimate gathering of close friends.” She emphasized the last two words as if she were trying to make it clear to her daughter that she was not a part of the group. 

Kara watched the exchange and she saw the way Cat’s eyes lost their sparkle at her mother’s words. “Oh,” she said, trying not to sound hurt. “I, I cleared my evening for you.”

“Kitty,” her mother drew out the nickname and walked up to Cat’s desk. She leaned in, almost like she was trying to stand over Cat. Then she said, in a condescending voice, “What could you possibly have to talk about with two Nobel laureates and Margaret Atwood?” 

Kara’s eyes became sad and her lips parted, desperately wanting to break into the conversation. She couldn’t believe Cat’s mother’s opinion of her daughter was so far off base. What would Cat have to talk about with two Nobel laureates and a world renowned poet? Everything, Kara thought, anything. She could talk about her intricate understanding of politics. Or offer her vast knowledge on the world of art. She could talk expertly on the economy. Or any crisis around the globe. Cat was one of the most knowledgeable people the world had ever known. Kara felt personally offended. 

And the look that crossed Cat’s face wasn’t lost on her, either. She had never seen this look before. The comment hurt Cat deeply. The look was obvious and clear and Kara was sure that her mother had seen it. 

Kara waited for Cat to lash out, like she was accustomed to, but she stayed calm. In control. She just said, “Enjoy your dinner, mother.”

The older Grant turned and gathered her things, leaving the office. 

The look of hurt was still in place on Cat’s face. Kara didn’t like it. She had a sudden urge to rush around the desk and put her arms around Cat. She knew she couldn’t though. They hadn’t come to that place in their relationship.

So she just slowly walked up to the desk and watched as Cat absentmindedly and slowly flipped through some papers on her desk, clearly not paying any attention to them. 

“Ms. Grant,” Kara said, wanting to say something to make her feel better. 

But it seemed like Kara’s voice snapped Cat out of her self pity. Her eyes darted up to Kara’s and she said, “Oh, w-where are the proofs for the revised fashion layout?” 

Kara realized the moment passed. She had the proofs under her arm. She quietly said, “I have them right here.” She passed Cat the plastic bound pages. 

She snatched them with the still sarcastic voice in place, “Well, thank you.” She barely glanced at them when she let out an annoyed, “Uh, and no. And no. The filter is off. This waist model looks like a wet rat. Take it back to Editing. The entire thing needs to be retouched and stay there until it’s finished.” Her tone was sharp. 

Kara didn’t mean to, but she hesitated. Cat caught it and pounced. “I’m sorry,” she feigned care, “do you have plans?” She slipped off her glasses and looked at Kara. 

Kara shook her head. “It’s just, um, this office game night thing we do.” 

Cat expression was cold. She rolled her eyes. “Office game night, Kiera, really.” Cat walked around to the coffee table. “Don’t you think you’ve made enough of a fool of yourself over James Olsen for one day? Everyone’s noticed how you throw yourself at him.”

Kara kept her eyes ahead, not looking at Cat, and desperately trying not to cry. Cat ended her insult with, “You should try to be a little more professional.”

She needed to get out of there. “I’ll get these to Editing right away.” She left as quickly as she could, taking deep breathes and trying to calm herself. Cat could be so mean sometimes. Kara never did anything to deserve it and even on days like today, when she knew Cat was lashing out because she, herself, was upset, it still hurt Kara. And infuriated her at the same time. 

She took her emotions with her to the game night later. Watching James and Lucy being so happy and in sync just made her more angry. 

They had taken Kara and Winn down in every game they played that night. Kara tried to cover her feelings with her usual smiles, but she left frustrated. And she went home frustrated. She went to bed frustrated. 

She laid in her bed, her thoughts wandering. She tried to relax. Finally, her breathing evened out and she felt her muscles loosening. Her thoughts turned to Cat. She thought about the exchange she saw between her and her mother. She felt sorry for Cat. 

She sighed to herself. She had seen Alex take her anger at Eliza out on others, too. Well, mostly her. All these dysfunctional mother/daughter relationships made her think of her own mother. They never fought, but now Kara knew that was because her mother was keeping things from her. 

She sighed again and thought about what Cat had said back in her office a few weeks ago when she had first shared with Kara about her mother. ‘Mothers and daughters. Hard.’ Indeed.

The more she thought about Cat, the more she relaxed. And the quicker she forgave her. Her thoughts stopped drifting and she was soon asleep. 

Unfortunately, the next day at work was even worse. Cat’s mother was still in town for one more night. Cat had said that she had completely brushed off her and Carter for the entire night. She had gotten a hotel in Montecito and she wouldn’t see Carter at all while she was here. 

She watched Cat’s expressions rotate between hard and hurt every time she talked about her. Kara wanted to reach out to her but she had no idea how. 

But then, as the day was ending, all hell broke loose. Kara was on another floor running errands between departments when her super hearing picked up a familiar sound. 

“Kiera!” Cat calling her name. She waited impatiently for another moment for the layouts she was there for. 

“Kiera!” Crap. She walked quickly out the door with the layouts and into the stairwell. She ran down to the main office floor at super speed. 

“Kier-!” She caught Cat in mid yell. 

“Yes, yes, I’m here,” Kara said, scampering into the office. She immediately noticed Cat’s tense demeanor. She braced herself. This wasn’t going to be good. 

Cat’s face was cold. “Finally.” She paused, she was mad. “I have been screaming your name over and over for the last minute and a half. Ninety seconds I have been boiling alive in my office.” Kara was immediately irritated.

Cat turned quickly to walk back to her desk. “Ninety seconds, each one of which, if amortized to reflect my earnings, is worth more than your yearly salary.” Kara just looked at the floor. She felt her anger from yesterday returning to the surface. 

Cat wasn’t just mad. She was really mad. She had a hand on one hip. Her movements were short and sharp. “One second of my time is ninety times more valuable than your pointless, sad, pathetic li-,”

Kara couldn’t take it anymore. Her head shot up and her eyes went wide. She yelled, “Don’t talk to me like that, please!”

She took a step forward and charged ahead, ignoring Cat’s shocked expression. She didn’t even recognize the sound of her own voice. “I work so hard for you. I don’t ask questions, I don’t complain, and all you do is yell at me and tell me I’m not good enough and it’s mean. Why are you so mean?!”

Silence. 

Cat just stared at her without a word. Her face was unreadable. Kara’s hands flew up to cover her mouth. She couldn’t believe what she had just done. 

“Oh my god,” she breathed out. Cat didn’t move. “I’m so sorry.” She took a step closer to the desk. She knew this was it. She’d finally crossed the line. No fake firing today. She was definitely getting fired this time. She started freaking out a little.

“I, I, I didn’t mean that. I don’t know what happened, I just snapped, and-,” 

She was cut off by Cat quickly raising a finger over her own lips and silencing her with a loud, “Shhh.” 

During Kara’s little outburst, she had managed to compose herself. Her anger at her mother forgotten, Cat just said, seriously and slowly, “Forward the phones.” She paused, closing her laptop. “We’re going.” 

Kara was suddenly even more afraid. “Where are we going?” 

Cat just looked at her and quietly, but firmly said, “Chop, chop.”

She followed Cat out of her office and to the elevators. She watched as Cat punched the down button on the private elevator. Kara wasn’t sure what do it, so she punched the down button on the public elevators. 

The door to Cat’s elevator opened in less than a second and Kara stood there, waiting on another elevator. 

Cat sighed loudly and rolled her eyes. The sigh made Kara look at her. She dramatically used her whole arm to point her finger inside the private elevator. 

“Right,” Kara said quietly, still very unsure about what was happening. She shuffled over and promptly slipped inside the private elevator. 

Once inside, Cat casually pulled out her phone to check her email. Business as usual. Though beside her, Kara stood, completely freaking out on the inside. She was thankful this elevator was so fast. They were on the ground floor shortly, where Kara followed Cat out the door and to a car where her driver was waiting. 

When they were in the car, Cat still on her phone, the driver asked where to. 

Without lifting her head, Cat just said, “Noonan’s.” 

Kara turned her head quickly in Cat’s direction. She quietly risked speaking. “Why are we going to Noonan’s?”

Again without looking up, Cat asked, “You like it there, don’t you?”

Kara could tell it was a rhetorical question. Still she whispered a terrified, “Yeah. Sure. Noonan’s.” It’s as good a place as any to get fired, Kara thought. 

Soon they were sitting at the bar, where Cat ordered two dry vodka martinis. She didn’t bother to ask if Kara wanted something different. 

Kara was beginning to relax, if only slightly. She had seen Cat fire a lot of people and she never took them to get drinks first. She was still nervous, having no idea why they were here. 

Their drinks came. Cat put her phone down. She stirred her drink and took a sip. When she spoke, her voice was sure and confident. This was the tone Kara was most familiar with. She finally relaxed. 

“Here’s the thing, Kiera. Everybody gets angry. Everybody. And there is no pill that will eradicate this particular emotion. I know this because if there were, I would be popping those babies like pez.”

Kara interrupted, “Ms. Grant, I’m so sorry. I’m really sorry about before-,”

Cat interrupted back, not liking to be interrupted. “You apologize too much, which is a separate, although not unrelated, problem. No, this is about work.” Cat finally looked at her for the first time since Kara had lost it. “And anger.”

“Whatever you do, you cannot get angry at work,” Cat said seriously. “Especially when you’re a girl. 

Before she knew it, Cat had finished her drink and the bartender brought over two more. Kara quickly said, “Oh, no, I’m still working on my first one.”

At the same time, Cat asked, “Did you want another one?” She pulled both of the fresh martinis toward her. Kara just looked at her with her mouth open a little. That’s when she knew this was going to be a long night. 

An hour later, they had moved to sit on the same side of a booth, talking about everything. Kara listened intently and hung on Cat’s every word. She was captivating. She talked about handling your emotions in the work place for a while. Kara asked questions. Cat answered them patiently. 

Yes, Kara thought, she was definitely over her crush on James. Cat was on her sixth martini. She was a little drunk. Not really drunk. But relaxed drunk. Kara could always tell when she was relaxed because she started talking with her hands, making flowy gestures while she talked. 

She had been telling Kara stories about when she was first starting out. “When I was at the Daily Planet, Perry White picked up a chair and threw it out of a window.” 

Kara smiled at Cat as her speech was beginning to slur. She thought it was kind of adorable. She had been waiting on the alcohol to start affecting Cat. She was surprised how such a tiny person held it so well. 

Cat continued her story, “because someone missed a deadline and, no, he did not open the window first.” Cat smiled a little herself at the memory. 

Then she went on, drawing the conversation back to their original topic. “If I had thrown a chair, or my god, if I had thrown a napkin, it would have been all over the papers. It would have been professional and cultural suicide.”

“Then what do you do?” Kara adjusted her glasses as she asked. 

“Well, you need to find a release. You need to take up some boxing or start yelling at your house keeper, but the real key, Kiera, is that you need to find out what’s really bothering you.” She looked at Kara again with the serious expression. 

“For example, I am so furious with my mother that I took it out on you and you’re so mad at me, but you- and this is the important bit,” she lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned in, “you weren’t really mad at me.”

Kara furrowed her brow. She hated to disagree with Cat, seeing how she was always right, but Kara just said, “Actually, I kind of was.”

“Nooo,” Cat drawled, shaking her head and Kara shook her head too, the confused look back in place. “Uh, uh. You were really mad at something else. And you need to find, find that anger behind the anger. And you need to find out what is really making you mad.” 

Kara looked away, thinking. She didn’t know what to say. She was right. She wasn’t really mad at Cat. She never was. 

Then Cat checked her watched and tried to sit up a little straighter. “I need to be getting home.” 

Kara looked at her and was instantly disappointed. “Let me walk you to your car, Ms. Grant.”

Cat just nodded and they both stood. Cat was unsteady on her feet. Kara put her hands out just in case and followed her slightly inebriated boss outside. The car was there, but Kara thought she should make sure Cat got home alright. It was the polite thing to do, right?

She slipped into the car beside Cat. Cat just looked at her with cloudy eyes and her brow knitted together a little. “Um, what are you doing?” The words were slurred together a little and it made Kara smile. 

“I’m going to make sure you get into your house okay, Ms. Grant.”

“Kiera,” Cat said, with a dramatic roll of her eyes. “I am perfectly fine.”

“I know you are. But if you trip and fall and break your neck, I’m out of a job, so I’m coming.”

Cat narrowed her eyes and thought. Kara’s logic was sound. She lifted her brows and shrugged, sitting back. She told her driver to take her home and they began driving towards the water. They made the trip in silence. Not because they were uncomfortable. On the contrary, they didn’t mind not talking.

Cat’s neighborhood was high end. Of course it was. It sprawled along a long stretch of hills close to the beach. Her own property was spacious with a long driveway leading to a beautiful home. 

Kara had been there a few times before, to pick something up or drop something off. Though, she’d never made it passed the foyer. 

The car pulled up to the front door and Kara got out. She came around to open Cat’s door at the same time the driver did and she almost bumped into him. 

“Oh, sorry,” she wasn’t used to having a driver. He just smiled at her as he opened the door. Kara gently took Cat’s arm as she stood from the car. She didn’t seem like she needed much steadying, but she let Kara hold onto her anyway. 

Kara told the driver, “I’m going to make sure she gets settled in okay, you don’t have to stay.”

He asked if she was sure and she said yes. He drove away, leaving the two of them. Cat fumbled a bit with her keys, concentrating to get the right one into the key hole. 

When they were through the front door, Cat said, “Really, you don’t have to stay.” 

Her voice was softer than normal and she was just looking at Kara. Kara suddenly realized she had no idea what she was doing there. But she looked at Cat and said, “Let’s get you some water.”

She walked a few steps farther into the house, then stopped and looked around. Cat smirked at her, knowing she had no idea where to go. 

Kara held up a finger, “Kitchen?” 

Cat smiled a little and pointed. Kara walked that direction. Surely she could find a kitchen. It was probably huge and she wouldn’t be able to miss it. She was getting nervous. Why had she insisted on getting Cat home? 

She turned into the kitchen and Cat slowly walked in after her. Kara could feel Cat’s eyes on her as she searched for a glass. She found the glasses, filled one with water from a pitcher in the fridge and walked back over to Cat. She hadn’t meant to step so close, but she did and Cat was still just looking up at her. 

Neither one of them was saying anything. Like they were both appraising the situation, wondering what to do next. Cat took the glass and walked toward the living room. She took a couple drinks from the glass and walked over to the big windows looking over the large back yard and out to the water. 

Kara came to stand beside her. “This is beautiful, Ms. Grant.” The moon light was shining off the water and it seemed to make the whole night brighter outside. Then she turned to Cat and asked, “Are you feeling okay?” Cat just nodded. Kara was having trouble naming the expression on her face. “I, uh, I guess I can show myself out.”

Cat still didn’t say anything, so Kara just nodded a little and turned to leave. 

She stopped when she heard Cat say, “I didn’t mean what I said about James yesterday.” 

Kara turned, slowly. She was getting more nervous. “What do you mean?”

Cat set the glass down and took a couple steps toward Kara, looking her in the eye. “I don’t really think you throw yourself at him. And I think I’m the only one that noticed that you ever noticed him.”

Kara was frozen in her place. She was starting to recognize the look on Cat’s face. But she was still afraid to say what it was. If she was wrong, she would be so let down. If she was right, she would have no idea what to do next. 

She asked Cat, “Why are you telling me this?” 

Cat took another step closer. She was still talking quietly when she said, “Because I had six martinis and I’m having trouble controlling what comes out of my mouth.” She was still looking at Kara. The next thing she knew, Cat was standing right in front of her. “Things have been changing between us.”

Kara just nodded. It was true. Things had been changing. But Kara never dared to think that her crush on Cat was, in any way, reciprocated. Wait. Who was she kidding? It wasn’t a crush. She was falling in love with her. 

Then Cat reached up and barely brushed her fingers from Kara’s temple, down her jaw and to her chin. Kara closed her eyes as the touch went through her whole body. She was still frozen. Everything in her wanted to wrap Cat up in her arms and pull her close, but she couldn’t move. 

But Cat could. She put her hands on Kara’s hips and pulled on her, just a little. Just enough to draw her close enough to place a light kiss on her cheek. Then another on the corner of her mouth. 

Kara was having problems breathing as the rhythm of her heart went faster. And then she felt Cat’s soft lips dip down to press against her neck and she breathed in and she breathed out an almost inaudible, “Ms. Grant, I-,”

“You should really call me Cat,” the other woman breathed against the skin of her neck. Kara had to take another breath in. Cat’s hands wandered up from Kara’s hips to her shoulders, barely touching over her breasts on the way up. 

Then Cat reached up and tugged at Kara’s cardigan. She pulled it down over her arms, scraping her finger nails lightly over Kara’s arms and they came down. Cat placed another kiss on her collar bone, then another on her jaw, as the cardigan was discarded on the floor. 

Kara couldn’t take it anymore. She brought her hands up to Cat’s face. She looked at Cat’s eyes to make sure this was okay. Cat’s response was her hands back on her hips, pulling her closer again. So Kara leaned in and pressed her lips to Cat’s. Just for a moment. 

She pulled back from the tentative kiss. Cat’s eyes had lost the cloudy haze from the alcohol. They were bright and completely focused on Kara. 

Then the floodgates opened. They crashed their mouths back together with passion, moving against one another. Cat parted her lips and Kara did the same. Their tongues touched again and again. Kara put her arms around Cat’s waist and pulled her impossibly close. 

Cat tugged gently at Kara’s hair until she tilted her head back and Cat’s mouth was instantly on her neck again. She kept one hand in Kara’s hair, placing open mouth kisses everywhere. She trailed the other hand all over Kara’s body. Down the front and over her breast. Around to the small of her back and back up. 

Kara bent down to kiss Cat’s lips again, still fervently. She started pulling her blouse free from her slacks, needing more skin. Her hands were under Cat’s shirt, going over every inch that she could get to. Cat moaned into Kara’s mouth at the contact and kissed her harder. 

Then Cat reached for Kara’s glasses and pulled them off. Kara’s senses quickly rushed back to her and she tried to stop Cat, but it was too late. Cat had taken her glasses off and tossed them on the sofa. She looked at Kara, moving in to kiss her again, when she stopped short. And stared. And kept staring. 

Kara’s eyes were worried. But Cat put her hands on Kara’s face for a minute, letting her mind catch up to her eyes. There was so much emotion on both faces. Slowly, Cat reached up and found the clip in Kara’s hair. She pulled it free and ran her fingers through Kara’s hair, pulling it down. 

Kara saw the recognition on Cat’s face. Her mouth was open a little and she was taking in the sight of her. Then she just whispered, “You’re Supergirl.” It was a statement, not a question. 

“Cat,” Kara started, but she was cut off when Cat once again, pressed her lips to Kara’s. This kiss was different. It was tender. Kara kissed her back, just as soft. 

When Cat pulled back, Kara leaned her forehead to Cat’s. They stood there for a minute, arms still wrapped around each other. Cat brought her hands up around Kara’s face again and whispered, “No wonder you’re so angry.” 

Kara just looked at her and Cat could tell the look was asking what she meant. “You watched everything, everyone you knew and loved die right in front of you and you couldn’t do anything.”

Kara felt tears sting her eyes so she looked away. But Cat used her hands to pull Kara’s eyes back to her. And she kissed her again, less tender this time. Kara kissed her back again. This was the most amazing thing she could ever remember feeling. This woman, in her arms, now knowing everything about her, and still kissing her. 

They kissed for a long time. Kara knew it was Cat’s way of comforting her. Finally, after what seemed like hours, they pulled apart and looked at each other. A slow smile played across Cat’s face, then Kara’s, too. As much as she was enjoying this, Cat knew they needed to calm down.

“Listen,” Cat said, “this is, um, a lot for both of us.” 

Kara nodded and said, “We should take some time to process.” It was like she was finishing Cat’s thought and Cat nodded. 

Kara leaned down and picked up her sweater at the same time that Cat retrieved her glasses from the sofa. She gave them to Kara and Kara slowly slipped them back on. She leaned in and kissed Cat one more time. Cat reached a hand to Kara’s face and their lips lingered together for a moment. 

Cat took her hand and pulled her to the back door. They walked outside together and she watched with a little awe as Kara swirled around at super speed, transforming before her. Then she came up to stand in front of Cat. 

“See you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow,” Cat said back. Kara slowly took a few steps backward. Then Cat watched her fly off into the night. 

The next morning, Cat was in her office with her mother when Kara came in. As she walked up to her own desk, she noticed the back of Cat’s chair facing the office. From the reflection on the TV screens she could see that Cat was still wearing her sunglasses. Uh oh, Kara thought. She fished around in her desk and poured two Advil tablets into a tiny pill dish. She walked into the office in time to hear Cat’s mother complaining. 

“Oh, here she is,” she walked straight up to Kara and said, irritated, “My car was supposed to be here a half an hour ago.”

“Oh,” Kara said back, politely, “I didn’t realize I was getting you one.”

“How else am I supposed to get to the airport?” Kara was suddenly creeped out at familiarity of the attitude. Then the woman turned toward Cat, who was still facing away and said, “Honestly, Kitty, is this creature of yours some sort of unpaid intern? How do you justify paying a salary to such an unreliable person?”

Kara felt the sting of the words. Then she watched as Cat turned in her chair to face them. Even with the sunglasses on, Kara saw the look of disapproval on Cat’s face. She slipped the sunglasses off and stood. When she spoke, it was firm.

“First of all, I don’t pay her very much. And second, you don’t get to talk to her that way.”

“Excuse me,” her mother said, surprised at her daughter’s defense of Kara. 

Even Kara was surprised. Cat had never defended her. To her knowledge, Cat had never defended anyone. She watched as Cat walked from around her desk saying, “I understand, mother, that you have always been threatened by my success and you try to elevate yourself by denigrating me, which is fine, but you are not allowed to do the same thing to my assistant, who, by the way, is excellent at her job.”

Kara couldn’t help the smile that formed on her face. 

Cat’s mother took pause, then just said, “I think I’ll use the lady’s before I go.” With that, she left the office. 

Cat sat down on the sofa with a tired, “Ahh,” closing her eyes.

Kara came up to her and said, “Thank you for saying that I’m excellent at my job.” 

She opened her eyes and looked at Kara. “You are exceptional at your job.” 

Kara smiled again and offered her the pill dish. Cat took it with a, “Thank you.” 

Kara poured her some water and asked, “Would you like me to call your mother a car?”

Cat quickly responded, “She can take her broom.”

Kara laughed a little at that. She sat down next to Cat. “I was hoping we could talk.”

Cat turned to face her. It was the first time they had seen each other since the night before. Though her head was aching at the slight hang over, she had been anxious to see Kara. 

Kara started. “I want you to know that I wanted so much to tell you about, um,” she just tapped her glasses and Cat understood the meaning. “But it’s kind of tricky.”

Cat shook her head. “No. It’s your secret to keep. I understand.”

“You didn’t really seem very surprised about it last night,” Kara said. 

Then Cat nodded. “I had wondered. After Livewire. But I didn’t want to bring it up unless I was sure.”

Kara nodded. It made sense. Then Kara turned the topic. “I need you to tell me if I crossed a line last night,” she said, earnestly. 

Cat dipped her head down for a second and then looked back up at Kara. “Last night was, um,” she glanced away, searching for the right words, “uncharacteristic for me.”

Kara felt her heart plummet into her stomach. She tried to keep her face the same, but Cat caught the look of disappointment. Kara looked away. 

Cat continued, “But I wouldn’t have let it happen if I didn’t want it to.”

Kara looked back to her, hopeful. She asked, “So what does that mean?”

“It means we take it slow,” Cat answered. “There’s so much we don’t know about each other.”

Kara nodded and asked the question that had been plaguing her. “Did what happened last night happen because you thought I was Supergirl?” 

Cat instantly drew her brow together and parted her lips. Again, she tried to find the right words. Gently, she placed her hand over one of Kara’s. “I was kissing Kara Danvers last night.” She looked at Kara pointedly, understanding that this was important. “She is the one that has been here, day in and day out, beside me for almost two years.” 

Kara gave her a small smile, loving the sound of her name from Cat, and nodded. “Thank you,” she said. 

Cat smiled back. “Now,” she got up and walked back behind her desk. She pulled out her phone and flipped through the calendar. “I need you to clear my evening.”

“Oh,” Kara said, surprised at the sudden shift. “Oh, okay. Did you need me to schedule something else?”

“No. You and I are going out. Out, out. On a date. Tonight.” Cat’s tone was sure. She wanted this. 

Kara just smiled brightly. “Cat, you can’t just tell me we’re going on a date.”

Cat looked at her confused. So Kara clarified, “Really, you should ask me.” Her tone was playful so Cat smirked back at her. 

She walked back around from her desk and came to stand in front of Kara. “Kara,” she watched Kara smile even wider at the use of her name. “I would really enjoy it if you would let me take you to dinner tonight.”

Kara innocently feigned boredom and said, “Well, I’ll have to check my schedule. But I guess I don’t have anything better to do-.”

Cat cut her off with a pinch on her arm and narrowed her eyes. Kara laughed, “Ow!”

“Oh, stop,” Cat said with a smile, “that didn’t hurt a bit.” 

Still laughing, Kara said, “I’ll go make those calls.” 

Cat just smiled over her shoulder at her. She sat back down at her desk, happily. She had a date to plan.


	7. Human for a Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was a great episode. Kara and Cat both had great parts to play. Not a lot of Supercat interaction, though. 
> 
> So this is just some additional thoughts from both women as the episode went along. 
> 
> Also, the order is a little different. It was difficult because James and Kara came and left CatCo a few times, so this just assumed they stayed out when they left.

The pain was terrible. Her arm hurt so badly that she almost couldn’t talk, let alone move it. She grit her teeth through the intense pain as James made a make shift sling and put her arm in it. She had to keep from crying out. 

When her arm was set, Kara and James went about trying to get back to CatCo. 

Kara was overcome with guilt. Of all the days, why today? The one day she couldn’t help because she had blown out her powers fighting Red Tornado. There had to be another way. Another way to help. 

As they walked along the side walk, they passed by a large electronic store with a big window display. Kara immediately noticed Cat’s face on the screen. 

“James,” she said, stopping him. They both looked at the televisions. “Winn must have found a way to get back on the air.”

They watched as Cat read over a piece of paper. Kara realized she was getting ready to do a live broadcast. Other people frantically moving about the streets saw the familiar face on the screen and stopped to listen along with Kara and James. 

Cat nodded to someone off camera. Then she looked in to the camera and began to speak.

“People of National City. This is Cat Grant coming to you from CatCo plaza. We've just, moments ago, restarted our broadcasting capabilities.” She paused, “I, uh,”

Kara watched as Cat stopped and breathed out. She took her glasses off and set down the paper. Kara smiled a little. She knew what was coming. This was going to be Cat doing what she did best. Kara liked to call it improv inspiration. Cat didn't even know she was doing it most of the time.

“Look, we’re all suffering through a major disaster. Now you could react to the crisis by being petty and divisive or praying on other people's fears. And, after all, it is human to be selfish.”

Kara looked around. More people had stopped to watch. She looked down the street. Others were watching outside another store. When she turned to look across the road, she saw people inside a restaurant, also watching Cat's broadcast. She turned back to the screen. 

“But isn’t it also human to face our weaknesses and rise above them? Act like a superhero even if you aren’t one. It’s true, Supergirl has not been located yet, but her spirit stays with us.”

Kara felt emotion welling inside her. Cat had been showing more and more faith in Supergirl. Kara had noticed the change in the last couple weeks. Cat had started out with only criticism for Supergirl. But it was changing. She was proving herself to Cat. 

“Her insistence on seeing the best in people. A call for us to heed our better angels. Supergirl has faith in us, so let’s have a little faith in her. Supergirl will return when we need her most.”

Cat’s voice was sure and confident. 

“Until then, we need to help each other. Call us. Share your stories of heroism. Let’s show the world what we’re really made of. And no,” she rolled her eyes, “we can’t do what Supergirl does, but we must choose to do what we can.” 

Superhero or not, Kara thought, she could still help.

Back at CatCo, Cat nodded to Winn, who cut the broadcast. The screen returned to CatCo’s news feed. She immediately called down to the news studio floor.

“Get live reporters out all over the city. Now. Tell them to focus on the good that people are doing out there. If I see one shot of a robbery or looting, everyone down there is fired.” 

She hung up and turned to Winn. “Play it again, every ten minutes, until the stories start coming in.” He nodded, impressed with her. 

Cat paced the office and glanced to Kara’s desk. She had seen her and James leave, but Cat hadn’t had a chance to stop her. She could have easily made up something for Kara to do to keep her there. To keep her safe. Her arm was already hurt. Cat had tried calling her, but the cell towers weren’t working. She sighed and tried to busy herself in an attempt to get Kara out of her mind.

Back on the street, Kara and James were still trying to get back to CatCo. As they passed by a convenience store, they heard shouting from inside. Cat’s words echoed in her mind. ‘We must do what we can.’

Kara went to charge in, but James grabbed her arm. “The bullets won’t bounce off this time,” he said seriously. 

“They don’t know that,” she said back. She ducked behind the building and took off the clothes she was wearing over her super suit. The pain in her arm was excruciating. 

When she reappeared, she charged through the door and firmly said to the man wielding the gun, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He instantly turned the gun towards her. She held up a hand and lied. “That’s not going to work on me.”

He cocked the gun, warning her to stay back. But Kara took a step closer, her arm shaking with the agony of the broken bone. She spoke calmly, “You don’t want to hurt these people.”

She softened her voice. “I know you’re scared. We all are. You want to save yourself, your family. But don’t you see that we are all in this together,” she said, mirroring Cat’s words. 

“There’s about a dozen ways that I could stop you right now. But I don’t think I have to.” She could see that the young man was terrified. But she could also see the hesitation on his face. She risked another step closer. 

“Because this is not you. It isn’t any of you. I believe that we are better than this.” She looked around at every one and said, “We choose who we want to be. And I know you’re going to choose to be a better man.” 

She was almost face to face with him. Close enough to reach her hand out and offer to take the gun. She saw the conflict on his face. But, slowly, he released his grip on the weapon and handed it to her. 

She gave him a smile of reassurance. She felt more confident than ever. She could still be a superhero without her powers. And that meant anyone could be a hero. Cat was right. 

Later that night, back at CatCo, Kara’s powers had returned. The pain in her arm was gone. Cat was in her office and plenty of people were still there. Stories had come in from all over the city of the citizens of National City banding together to help one another through the aftermath of the earthquake. 

Everyone was working to broadcast as many as they could late into the night. Others were already planning which stories would be in the Tribune and CatCo magazine. 

From a group of people digging survivors out of the rubble, to two young men who rescued an elderly lady from her car, to families who were taking other families into their homes. It was all inspiring. 

Kara walked by the office and watched Cat work. She wanted to tell her. Let her know what she had done that day. That so much of the good happening in the city right then, was because of her. 

In her office, Cat was diligently catching up on the work she hadn’t been able to get done because of the events of the day. 

A flash of color caught the corner of her eye and she looked out to the balcony. There she was. Supergirl. Hovering just outside the balcony, looking at her. 

Cat stood and slipped off her glasses. She made her way to the balcony door and walked out. 

Then she listened as Supergirl said, “I caught your amazing broadcast today. Thank you.”

Cat quickly and quietly said, “Well, thank you for the compliment.” Then her voice became more serious. “Now where the hell were you? How could you just up and leave in the middle of the worst disaster in decades?” 

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Kara responded, but Cat cut her off. 

“Oh, you didn’t scare me,” she said, lifting a hand to her chest. And then Kara realized the idea of Cat being scared at her absence was, indeed, ridiculous. Nothing scared this woman.

Then Cat said, “But regular people, they’re starting to depend on you. It’s easy for them to feel abandoned. You have to understand that most people out there spend their lives feeling isolated and alone.”

Kara hung her head. Though it wasn’t her fault she blew out her powers, it kind of was. She had no idea that it would happen, but now that she did know, it was her responsibility to make sure it didn’t happen again. She had to be strong when the people needed her. 

“And when a tragedy strikes, they look to their heroes, not only for rescue, but for solace, and consistency.”

At that Kara smiled and said, “That’s why I’m glad they had you. You gave them hope today. I know you inspired them because, you inspired me.”

Cat didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t thought about that. She was just trying to hold the threads of the city together. She wasn’t out on the street. She hadn’t seen people watching her broadcast at different times of the day and immediately turning to others to try to help. She hadn’t seen people turn from selfish to selfless at the sound of her words. 

But Kara thought she should know. She watched as Cat just smiled at her. And she smiled back. 

Cat suddenly wished she would come closer. But just as she wished it, Supergirl turned and flew off into the night. Cat was left on the balcony. She smiled again thinking over the younger woman’s words. She received compliments all the time. This one shouldn’t be any different but it was.

She turned to go back into the office, feeling reenergized enough to work all night if she needed to.


	8. Hostile Takeover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some liberties fixing the balcony scene at the end. 
> 
> Other than that, this chapter is inner musings that I'm sure Cat and Kara were both having.

“The DEO is handling that. We are saving Ms. Grant,” Kara said, emphatically. And she meant it. 

Kara had seen the stress on Cat’s face as the lawyers were talking to her about the hack. It was a guarded expression and she was sure the two lawyers hadn’t seen it, but Kara had. Cat knew the situation was bad. Even she didn’t know what treasure trove of information might be hidden in her emails. 

She had instructed Kara to go through them. All of them. ‘Only people you trust on this one,’ Cat had said. Meaning, of course, that she trusted Kara to head the team. 

Kara had quickly set about printing all of Cat’s emails from the CatCo server. Every. Single. One. Boxes upon boxes of paper. She wheeled them in to the spare office that was still under construction. 

She immediately began combing through the emails, not wanting to waste a minute. Meanwhile, James and Winn were having another little competition, trying to get Kara’s attention. 

This time, it was Winn. He said, “Shouldn’t we be focusing on the whole psycho Aunt Astra is back in town for round two thing?” 

“Is that true? W-why didn’t you tell me.” James asked Kara. 

“Oh,” he said, casually, to James, turning his attention to his computer, “I know something before you do.” 

Kara just rolled her eyes and ignored them. They were here for Cat. She wondered when James and Winn would get the hint that she wasn’t into either one of them. She already had eyes for someone else. Someone gorgeous and smart and strong and witty. And in serious need of some help. 

After several hours Kara was back in Cat’s office presenting some possible points of embarrassment. She felt a little timid just reading them to Cat. Funding Jekyll and Hyde, The Musical, harmless. Applying for Undercover Boss, who cares? Referring to the competition as a- whatever, completely understandable. The board would just have to understand that people get hacked. 

Later that day, Cat met with the board. She was on the defensive. They all seemed pitted against her. “In some circles, it’s a badge of honor,” she told them. 

But they kept coming at her. One of them, suggesting she take a sabbatical. Another one insisting on playing devil’s advocate. She had asked these people to be on CatCo’s board because they were all like her. Powerful, smart, and forward thinking. She narrowed her eyes as she appraised the group. Something was off. She was usually on the same page as CatCo’s board. But now she was having to remind them whose company this was. 

Then there was Dirk Armstrong, coming to her defense. Of all people. She didn’t get along with Dirk. He was on the board because she needed a couple people there who would disagree with her. That was one of the qualities of a good board of directors. People who had differing opinions, but the same vision for the company. The diversity that Cat brought to this board was one of the things that made CatCo successful. 

But Dirk had been changing his tune recently. Disagreeing with her more and more. Talking to other board members behind her back. Of course, she wasn’t ignorant of these things. There were people on this same board that were unceasingly loyal to Cat. So why was Dirk jumping to her defense now? 

“Besides,” Dirk was saying, “if, well, if things get too hot, I’m sure you’ll be the first one to step away, right, Cat?” 

“Absolutely,” Cat lied. Of course not, she thought. Never. She built this company from the ground up. CatCo was hers. It always had been and it always would be. She had given up everything for CatCo. She had become a hard and tested woman to make CatCo what it was. She had sacrificed again and again. That walking personification of white, male privilege had another think coming if he thought for a second that she would ever leave her life’s work in his hands. 

As the meeting with the board ended, Kara was at her side immediately. She was thankful for the younger woman’s presence. It seemed to be the only thing soothing her stress today. 

She twirled her hair as she relayed instructions to Kara. It was an unconscious habit. Something she did when she was deep in thought. Right now, she was still trying to understand what had just happened in the board room. 

She finished her conversation with Kara, telling her, “Whatever the press turns up, Dirk Armstrong is going to pounce all over it. He’s as two faced as they come.” 

Kara turned toward the elevator, her eyes on Dirk. She turned on her super hearing and listened in, just in time to hear Dirk say, “I think she’ll be out by the end of the week.”

Kara gasped. She made an excuse and headed back to tell James and Winn. After they came up with a plan of attack, they turned their attention back to the emails. 

Then, by the end of the day, Kara was back in her office again. This time, with a potential smoking gun. And she wasn’t thrilled with asking Cat about it. 

“Wait,” Cat said, as Kara broached the subject of the monthly deposits into Adam Foster’s account. “So you think I am supporting, what, a rent boy?” 

Kara caught the slight tone of disbelief. “No,” Kara began, but Cat went on. 

“If I wanted to have sex with a beach boy, I’d still be sleeping with John Stamos. Do you really think that I need to pay for it?”

Not in a million years, Kara thought. Ever. People should be paying you, her thoughts said. I’d pay you… She pulled her derailing train back onto the tracks of her brain and said, “No. No, of course I don’t. The boys do. Did,” she corrected at the insulted look she received. “I know better.”

“So if it’s not a male escort,” Cat started and waited for Kara to finish her thought with something that might sound like a convincing reason for the press. Something other than the truth. 

“I have no idea,” was all Kara said. “But, but when Winn mentioned Opal City I remembered how when I sent out your Christmas cards, there was one addressed to an A. Foster in Opal City.”

Kara watched as Cat visibly deflated. She slowly sat down in her chair and breathed out deeply. She put her elbows on the desk and rested her chin on her hand. “Damn it,” she said, quietly. 

Kara hazarded the question, “Who is A. Foster, Ms. Grant?”

“Adam Foster is my son,” she said slowly. Then with the tiniest smile, she added, “My oldest. His father is someone I hadn’t dated very long, I didn’t know him very well, he’s not Carter’s father.” She didn’t know why she felt the need to tell Kara this. This was something she had hidden away. It was something secret that she didn’t want anyone to know about. Because it was something that she deeply regretted. 

“Adam was just one of those things I hadn’t planned on when I was building CatCo. My ex told me that I didn’t care about my son, that I only cared about my business and why should either one of them stick around.”

“Was that true,” Kara wanted to know. She was a little shocked at the information. She had no idea that Cat had another son. And she thought she knew everything about Cat. And knowing how much she loved Carter, Kara couldn’t believe she didn’t gush over her oldest as well. 

“I don’t know,” Cat answered honestly. Kara could see the sadness on her face as she recalled one of the most difficult times in her life. “I sued for custody, I hired a powerhouse attorney and I threw everything I had at him.” She paused. “But I lost.”

Kara sat down. She wanted to comfort Cat. This was the most vulnerable she had ever seen her. When she had opened up to Kara about her mother, she was hard, bitter. When she opened up to her about her regrets with Leslie, she was humble. But opening up about losing her son seemed to drain that beautiful energy right out of her. It snuffed the light Kara loved so much. 

“But you tried,” Kara told her. “Sometimes all you can do is try.”

Then Cat confessed. “I didn’t lose.” She seemed ashamed. “I quit. I dropped the lawsuit. I was working at CatCo twenty-four-seven, and, well, I really did believe we’d be in each other’s lives.”

“So what happened?” Kara gently pressed. She knew it was none of her business. But she had to know. She quietly asked, “Did you just send him off?” 

Cat looked at her like the question hurt her feelings. “No, I did not just send him off,” she answered, just as quietly. 

She looked at Kara with soft eyes and said, “You have no idea what that moment is like. When you have to say to yourself, ‘Maybe my child would be better off without me.’” Her voice faltered just a bit at the end of the sentence. 

Kara’s heart hurt for Cat. And it hurt for herself. She could hear in Cat’s voice how difficult the decision had been. And then she imagined her own parents having to make the same decision. 

Kara realized that she had spent so much time being bitter over their choices and the results of those choices, that she hadn’t realized how painful it must have been for them too. 

With her head down, she said, “I just know what it’s like to wonder about a mother’s choices.” Then she looked at Cat and asked, “Would you make a different decision if you could go back?”

Cat looked away. “I stopped asking myself that question years ago. Not being there for Adam is my greatest regret and now, for all we know, someone is about to release it to the world.”

“Maybe you could talk to him,” Kara tried to encourage her. “Try and get him to understand.”

“No,” Cat was still sad. “After not speaking for so long, I don’t get to do that. He’s going to get hurt. By me. Again.” Cat looked away again and sighed. Then she stood, her determination back in place. “But, I will not allow him to end up in a hideous media storm.”

Kara sensed something heavy coming. “What,” she hesitated, not seeing an answer, “what are you going to do?” 

She didn’t look at Kara when she answered. She couldn’t. She couldn’t believe she was even saying it. “I will negotiate a graceful, lucrative exit. And I will step down from CatCo.” 

Kara’s face fell in disbelief. Cat Grant, willing to give up everything she had worked her entire life for to keep her son safe. A son that she didn’t even have a relationship with. But Kara knew that was Cat. She was much more noble than people knew. And much more selfless than even Kara had guessed. 

She had seen the changes Cat was making in the last few months. Turning a positive spin on all the negativity in the world. Making CatCo more about what was good than what was petty and meaningless. 

She had been opening up more and more. Not just to Kara, but to feeling things. Kara could see that Cat wanted to do better, be better. And this sacrifice was the best she had to offer, even if Adam never knew about it.

The next morning, Cat was ready. She had prepared a speech for the press conference in which she planned to announce her resignation from CatCo. She would never tell anyone so, but she had tears streaming down her cheeks the night before as she wrote it. 

Now, with the tears dry and Kara beside her, she felt confident in her choice. Kara had sent her several text messages the previous night, trying to be encouraging. Though Cat only responded once, to the last one, to say thank you, she had smiled a little at every one. 

That was Kara. Always trying to make Cat feel better if she was stressed or hurt. Kara was a rare breed. She genuinely cared. She cared without any selfish ambition or pride. Cat treasured her for that. Kara seemed so far removed from Cat’s world of vanity. There were times when she craved just being around Kara’s goodness. 

They were talking as they walked out of the office, headed downstairs to the press conference. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do after this,” Cat said, still walking with that swagger, “I don’t know if there’s anything I can do.”

The last statement didn’t make sense to Kara so she quickly responded, “I’m pretty sure you can do anything, Ms. Grant.”

She felt Kara put a hand on her arm and she stopped and faced the younger woman. There was a lot she wanted to say to her. All the things she had been holding back for so long. How, at first, she thought Kara’s sweet spirit would be her undoing, but that it ended up being the thing that Cat loved most about her. She wanted to tell her that she was responsible for so much of the change that Cat was trying to make. She wanted to tell Kara how beautiful she thought she was. 

But it didn’t seem like the right time. It never did, between one crisis or another. So she said the one thing that seemed to make sense in the moment. 

“Kiera,” she said, always getting the name wrong on purpose. It was her last line of defense at keeping Kara distant. She had already broken down Cat’s other defenses. “Whatever comes next, for what it’s worth, you always have a job with me if you want it.” 

Then Kara smiled at her. And she felt like she could do the impossible task ahead of her. “Shall we?” She walked beside Kara out the door of the office. 

Suddenly the somber mood was interrupted when James, Witt, and a young woman she didn’t know, but that looked vaguely familiar, came crashing through the bullpen doors. 

The three proudly showed Cat a printed out email, big smiles plastered to their faces. Cat glanced over the email. Her eyes widened just a little and she read over it again, more carefully. 

“Where did you get this?” Her voice was still even and controlled. She shouldn’t get her hopes up too soon. 

Witt started to say something, but James held up a hand, saying, “You know, it’s probably better that we don’t tell you, Ms. Grant.”

Then the young intruder added, “From a legal standpoint.”

Cat narrowed her eyes at the woman, “I recognize three out of the four of you,” she said, eyes critically on her. She could never trust a stranger. 

“Ah,” James said, “this is my girlfriend.”

The woman finished, “Lucy Lane.” She said it with a smile, like it was something to brag about. 

Cat looked incredulously at Kara, who dipped her face down. She knew bringing in a Lane was risky. “Lois Lane’s kid sister?”

“Yeah,” Lucy confirmed. 

That’s why she looked familiar. She had probably even met her before, all those years ago at The Planet. She would have been just a kid. 

“Well, congratulations,” Cat quipped, looking back to the email, “you got the looks.” Lucy made a small, satisfied look at the compliment. 

She turned back to Kara and asked, needing confirmation, “You launched this investigation of Dirk because…”

Kara proudly answered, “Because I, I overheard something he said after the boar-,” she caught her mistake, but it was too late. And Cat was too smart. 

She tried to cover, “Actually, it was something you said. About him smelling blood.” Kara hoped it was enough. 

Cat immediately started putting two and two together, fueled by the suspicions she’d already had brewing in her mind. But, once again, it wasn’t the right time. 

So she said, “Kiera, stall the press.” She thought and then smiled just a little, her pride back in place. “And tell that walking personification of white, male privilege to come to my office.”

The smile Kara gave her was bright and full. Cat loved that Kara was in this with her. Cat knew Kara always took Cat’s victories personally and it made Cat feel like they were almost partners on some level. 

She walked back into her office as Kara headed downstairs to talk to the press. She closed the door behind her and closed her eyes. She sighed loudly. She was so relieved. Walking over to the sofa, she sat down. She put her head in her hands. One moment of weakness, she told herself, then back to work. 

She kept her face hidden as she allowed only a few tears to escape her eye lids. She would keep CatCo. Thank goodness. Aside from Carter, it everything to her. 

She quickly wiped her eyes and went to the mirror to check herself. She remembered she had checked the same mirror only a few minutes ago, preparing to leave with Kara. 

Cat smiled a little at the thought of the young blond. Then her smile faded when she thought about what Kara had said about overhearing Dirk after the board meeting. It was obvious that it had been a slip. 

Cat thought back to Livewire. Then back to the earthquake. Could it really be? She had already told herself after Kara’s broken arm miraculously healed that she wouldn’t confront her unless she was sure. She tried to imagine Kara’s face without her glasses. Maybe. 

She shook her head and pushed it from her mind. She needed to concentrate. Dirk would be here any minute. 

When he walked in, he was confident. With a small smirk, he was no doubt waiting to hear Cat’s apologies and proposed exit deal. 

“Cat,” he said casually. 

She stood. “Dirk,” she smiled confidently at him. 

He sat down without an invitation and said, “I assume this is about your emails.” His tone was condescending and Cat almost couldn’t contain her excitement at having bested him. 

“Oh, spare me, Dirk. I know you were behind the hack. I know you want to take over CatCo, and,” she slapped his conspiratory emails down on the edge of her desk, “I have proof.”

She could see the shift in his demeanor immediately as he became nervous. He picked up the papers and shuffled through them. 

Cat went on, “Yes, you laid out the whole plan. Hack and embarrass me, get me to take a break, spearhead a hostile takeover.” Her voice became irritated. “You even have bullet points, you anal, little, son,-“

“Okay, alright,” he interrupted. “So your proof against me hacking you is you hacking me?” He defended himself, uselessly. “My lawyers will have a field day with that.”

Of course, Cat wasn’t phased. “Yes,” she was so casual. “Except that this email was written on a computer that was paid for by CatCo. It was sent from an email that linked to CatCo, regarding CatCo business.” 

She narrowed her eyes. She hated to admit it, but she was enjoying this. Actually, she didn’t hate to admit it. “So, technically, your emails are CatCo’s property. Legally, they belong to me.”

It was the final nail in the coffin and Dirk knew it. Without a word, he rose to leave. She rose as well, not done having her moment. 

“Oh, and just so you know what’s happening as we speak, CatCo security, in conjunction with National City police, are seizing your computers, your iPads, your mobile devices, and as for you,” she took a glance behind him as security guards entered the room, “Gentlemen.”

He looked anxiously behind him and saw them. Then Cat finished with, “Make sure the press get plenty of pictures of him being dragged out.”

She had a small, but satisfied smile on her face and she watched him being escorted out. She caught Kara’s eye through the glass wall and saw the look of pride on her face. And it made Cat smile just a little more to know that Kara was proud of her.

She watched as Kara followed the guards and Dirk to the elevators, no doubt ensuring that he got out through the center front doors, where all the cameras were. 

The rest of the day went by quickly. Cat, Kara, James, and Winn were all busy making up the work they had missed the last couple days. 

Finally, everyone began filtering out. Cat poured herself a drink and walked out to the balcony. She took a deep breath in and released it. The small smile of triumph was still on her face. 

She placed her hand on the edge of the balcony and looked at the concrete structure. She passed her eyes over the balcony then turned to look inside, glancing over the offices. She loved this place. She built it and it was hers. 

Her eyes landed on Kara through the window. She was walking around, taking care of some last minute paperwork. 

Kara. Supergirl? She thought she was sure. If she confronted Kara and was wrong, what did she have to lose? Kara would probably be complimented even if it was a mistake. And if it wasn’t a mistake. Well. She wasn’t sure about what to do then.

She took a sip of her drink and waited. Sure enough, Kara came out to the balcony a few moments later. She held a file and caught Cat’s eye, waving it, indicating she needed to sign something. Kara made her way over. 

Cat just nonchalantly said, “Kiera,” her voice was quiet as she took the young woman in. “Another week, another crisis averted, thanks to you.” 

Time to test the waters, Cat thought. She signed the paper and said, “My secret weapon. My guardian angel.” She could see Kara’s shy smile emerge with the praise. 

“It was nothing,” Kara said easily. Cat knew she meant it. For Kara, it was nothing to give everything to keep Cat safe and taken care of. 

She turned to leave, but Cat said, “Oh, no, it was something. It was something extraordinary. You saved me from a potentially very embarrassing situation with Adam.”

Kara just quietly said, “Well,” still refusing to take credit for a job well done. 

Cat turned back around and started in. This was it. Time to put it out there. “You know I was thinking about how you overheard Dirk after the board meeting.” She shrugged. “I was standing right next to you and there was no way he was in ear shot.”

“Um,” Kara tried to interject but Cat charged on, ignoring her. 

“And then I was thinking about the earthquake and how you got sick for the first time since I’ve known you. And you had a broken arm, and Supergirl mysteriously went MIA. And then she came back and your cold was gone. And your arm was better.” 

Cat saw it. The floundering look on Kara’s face as she quickly tried to come up with a lie to connect the dots. My god, Cat thought, she really is Supergirl. She had never been so surprised to be right. 

“That’s just a coincidence,” was all Kara could say. 

But Cat wasn’t finished. “I was also thinking about Livewire. About how when she attacked us, you fled into the stairwell.”

Kara quickly challenged that one. “Because you asked me to.” Cat caught the faint nervous laugh. 

She shrugged again. “Hmm. Yes. But not two seconds later, Supergirl shows up. Another coincidence?”

Kara was staring at her. She looked like she might cry. Her mouth was open, but she didn’t have any words. Any doubt that Cat had was washed away with Kara’s look of calm panic. 

She tried again to laugh it off. Cat continued with, “And let’s not forget that you took it personally when I named her Supergirl.” She stepped closer to Kara. Her voice softening. 

“Sure,” Kara tried to defend. “For,” she paused. She knew she was caught. “For political reasons.” Cat was close enough to touch and it always threw Kara off balance when she got that close. She couldn’t think of a way to counter Cat’s arguments. 

Without hesitation, Cat said, “Do me a favor and take off your glasses.” 

Kara raised her eyebrows. “My glasses,” she whispered. The nervous laugh came back. “I can’t. I’d be blind without them.”

Cat just looked at her. “I doubt that.” Her voice became even softer. She wasn’t trying to scare Kara. She wasn’t trying to interrogate her. She just needed to know. “If you’re not who I think you are, then what does it matter?” Kara wouldn’t be able to get out of this one. 

“Ms. Grant, I-,” she was so nervous. 

“Glasses,” Cat interrupted, “or I take it as a confirmation.” 

Kara’s anxious smile faded. She didn’t have a choice. She looked away and dipped her head. Slowly, she reached up and pulled off the glasses. Then she looked back up at Cat. She was so unsure. 

Cat smiled just a little with her recognition. Then she said, “Well,” she paused and sighed. Even though she saw it, she still almost couldn’t believe it. “Let me just say thank you for all the help you’ve given me.” With a smile, she lifted her glass and added. “Supergirl.”

Kara just stared. Half afraid, half relieved. Cat’s soft eyes on her were too much and she looked away. Cat watched as she glanced out over the city and she knew she was thinking of running. She set her drink down.

“Look at me,” Cat whispered. But Kara just looked down again. There was only one thing that Cat knew of that would draw her eyes back and keep her there. 

So she said it. “Kara.” There it was. Her last bit of defense against the young woman was finally gone. And it did work. 

Kara’s eyes slipped closed at the sound of her name. Then she looked back at Cat. Cat was smiling at her. Just a little. It wasn’t one of her victory smiles. It was an affectionate smile and it soothed Kara’s fear. 

Cat reached up and placed a hand over Kara’s cheek. She quickly reached up and put her own hand over Cat’s, as if she wanted to hold her in place. Cat took a step closer and so did Kara. 

Cat placed her other hand on the other side of Kara’s face. The younger woman lowered her one hand and lightly settled them both on Cat’s small waist. It was an intimate move for Kara to make, considering this was the first time they had ever been this close. But Cat didn’t mind it. At all. 

Cat watched as Kara took a deep breath in and closed her eyes. When she breathed out, she rested her head against Cat’s. Cat knew Kara well enough to know that physical touch was comforting to her. So she let Kara pull her just a little closer, the magnetic attraction between them beginning to take over. 

Someone needed to say something to keep them grounded or things were going to escalate quickly. Cat was trying to keep her wits about her. They needed to talk about this. 

“Do you trust me?” Cat’s voice was still so quiet. Her forehead was still barely touching Kara’s and neither made a move to separate. 

Kara’s eyes were still closed when she answered. “I, uh,” Kara tried to find her voice again. “I want to. More than anything.” 

Cat understood. It was reasonable for Kara to question Cat’s intentions. After all, she was the Queen of all Media. And Supergirl was the biggest thing to hit news in decades. 

Then Cat finally did pull back. Kara opened her eyes and they looked at each other. “This is between us,” Cat said, “I promise you.” 

“Thank you,” Kara whispered, knowing Cat never made a promise she didn’t intend to keep. 

“No,” Cat grazed her thumbs over Kara’s cheeks. “Thank you. You saved my son’s life on that train. You saved me from Livewire, twice. And now you’ve saved my company. And you know how much this place means to me.”

Kara gave a small nod. Cat looked in her eyes. She was no fool. She knew her effect on Kara. Her eyes flicked down to Kara’s mouth and back up. She didn’t mean to. But she saw that Kara saw it. She felt Kara’s grip on her waist tighten. 

Then they both started taking deeper breathes, trying to understand what was happening between them. Kara was the one that broke first. She couldn’t take it. She leaned in and lightly pressed her lips to Cat’s. 

In response, Cat slipped her fingers from Kara’s cheeks and knit them through her long hair. She parted her lips and Kara followed suit. They kissed each other fully. It was deep and Cat felt it all the way to her toes. She had never felt weak in the knees from a kiss. But this kiss. 

Kara’s hands slipped up to her rib cage and around her back. Their mouths were moving against each other and Cat wrapped her arms around Kara’s strong shoulders. 

They pulled apart slowly, keeping their arms around one another. When they looked at each other, Kara pressed her lips together. Then she couldn’t help it. She smiled a full smile. It made Cat smile back. 

“I’m sorry,” Kara said, quietly. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.” 

“You still apologize too much,” Cat said back, still smiling. 

Kara didn’t know what else to say, so she just leaned in and kissed her again. And then again. They stayed there for a long time, kissing on the balcony.


	9. Blood Bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, these are stand alone. So the fix at the end of the last one doesn't apply to this one. 
> 
> As far as this chapter goes, Kara still got called out after Cat confronted her. 
> 
> Added some of Cat's obvious thoughts after seeing Kara and Supergirl in the same room.

Kara couldn’t believe how out of control the situation had gotten. When Cat confronted her the previous evening about being Supergirl, she knew she was caught. She couldn’t counter any of Cat’s arguments. 

And today, Cat had been baiting her all throughout the day. She even quizzed her over her childhood. Kara had recited the false facts about elementary school teachers and movie release dates like clockwork. She had never before been thankful to Jeremiah for making her learn it all. But she had never needed it before either. And today she was very grateful. 

But now, here she was. Sitting on the balcony with Cat. They were facing each other in opposite easy chairs. Cat was twirling her hair. Kara knew that meant she had been deep in thought. 

Just before she spoke, Cat narrowed her eyes at Kara and scooted to the edge of her chair. Immediately intimidated, Kara scooted back in hers. 

“Look into my eyes, Kiera. What do you see?” Cat was serious. And very annoyed. 

Kara didn’t know what to say. “Um-,”

“Bags,” Cat answered for her. “I stayed up until dawn watching the news coverage of Supergirl. All the interrupted muggings and the averted car crashes, and the more I watched, the more I thought about the terrible things that happen while you’re here at work.”

Kara furrowed her eye brows. She wasn’t expecting that. She was expecting another attempt at getting her to admit that she was Supergirl. 

“Well, that should prove to you that I’m not her,” Kara said quickly. “I’m here while she’s out there,” she waved her hand dramatically, looking out at the city. 

But, again, Cat wasn’t phased. She just pressed on, like always. “Oh, please. We both know that Supergirl is capable of pulling off that parlor trick. What it really proves to me is how little this job means to you.”

Kara couldn’t believe it. Cat hadn’t said something that stung so deeply in a long time. She had to defend herself. 

“No, that’s not true,” Kara said, emphatically. “I love my job.” She said it with conviction. She wanted Cat to know she meant it. 

But Cat ignored her, charging ahead. “Every minute that you waste playing assistant in here is a minute that someone out there is not getting saved.”

Then Kara understood. And she didn’t like it. Cat was being noble again. Putting the greater good first. Kara loved it when she did that. But this time, she hated it. 

“Ms. Grant, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I will not partake in this ruse any longer.” She stood, indicating that the conversation was over. “So you can either prove to me that you are not Supergirl or you can clean out your desk. Tomorrow.”

She walked away, leaving Kara in shock. 

That night when Kara went home, she didn’t know what to do. Her first thought was to just confess. Tell Cat everything. But then she remembered Cat’s words from that morning. ‘I never joke about a good story.’ If Cat only thought of Supergirl’s identity as a story, then Kara would be in big trouble. 

Surely, Cat wouldn’t put that kind of information out there. But, honestly, Kara wasn’t sure. She had seen Cat spill some juicy stuff in CatCo magazine. Not to mention on CatCo’s online pop culture blogs. No, Kara couldn’t risk it. 

Not yet anyway. Their relationship had come so far, but they still had a ways to go. 

So where did that leave her? Don’t confess and she gets fired. Fired from CatCo. Her home. She spent more time there than anywhere else in her life. And the majority of the time she was there was spent with Cat. 

Her friends would still be her friends. But Cat. She might not ever see her again. At least not as Kara Danvers. And that’s who she wanted to be with Cat. 

Still, she didn’t see another way. Alex had been right about limiting the people who knew her secret. It was safer that way. 

Kara laid in bed and let tears stream down her face. That was it, then. Prove to Cat she wasn’t Supergirl or clean out her desk. She would try to convince Cat one last time and if she couldn’t, it would be over. 

The next morning Kara walked into Cat’s office. She was sitting on the sofa, looking over the magazine’s latest issue. 

Kara quietly asked, “May I speak with you, Ms. Grant?”

“Oh,” Cat replied and casually said, “well, that depends.” She looked up at Kara. “Show me your cape.”

Kara sighed and steeled herself. “I know you want me to tell you I’m Supergirl, but I can’t do that. What I can tell you is that this job, this place,” she glanced around the office, “is more important to me than you realize.”

Cat just looked at her, silent and thoughtful. Kara took the silence as permission to keep going. So she came and sat next to Cat on the sofa. 

She tentatively continued. “Whenever I’m confused or overwhelmed, I come into your office and you somehow sense it.” She gave Cat a small smile and told her, “It’s like your super power.”

Cat knit her brow together, taking in Kara’s words. And Kara could only hope she was having an impact. 

“I know I’m not going to be your assistant for the rest of my life, but I do know that whatever I do next will be easier because of everything you taught me. And, the truth is, I need you more now than I ever have.” 

Cat just took a breath and said, “Well, then, you know what you need to do.”

Kara hung her head. That was it then. Cat wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. And Kara couldn’t tell her what she wanted to know. She slowly stood and turned to face Cat. 

“Then you leave me no choice,” she lifted her chin as an attempt to keep her emotions inside. She couldn’t believe she was saying this. She paused and had to force the words to come. 

“I quit.”

Cat was still looking at her. “Hmm.” She shrugged a little and all she said was, “You can at least finish out the day.” With that she went back to her magazine. 

Kara’s face turned sad. So that was it. Cat wasn’t going to fight her any longer. She sighed and turned to leave the office. 

She didn’t see Cat look back up and watch her go. 

Later that evening, Cat was getting ready to eat her dinner. Preparing it was Kara’s last task before she would shortly clean out her desk. The rest of the day had been as difficult for Cat as it was for Kara. 

She didn’t want to let Kara go. She was fantastic at her job. By far, she was the best assistant Cat had ever had. But it was more than that. Somewhere along the way, Kara had won her over. Cat had started to care for her. 

There was something reassuring about having Kara’s encouraging personality around. She made every day better. Even the hard ones weren’t as hard with Kara there. Always serving, always smiling. 

Cat went to add some cream to her tea and found the jar empty. On a reflex, she said, “Kier-,” but she stopped herself when she looked out to the empty desk. Had Kara already left without saying goodbye? 

Cat’s eyes were a little sad. She wasn’t hungry anymore. She sat up straight and looked out to the balcony door.

Just then, out of nowhere, with a whoosh, Supergirl landed on the balcony. Cat made sure to act like she wasn’t caught off guard. She used her go to move, deflecting with sarcasm to hide the fact that she was happy to see her.

“I never realized how silly you look in that ridiculous outfit. Blue, yellow, and red. It’s like a color wheel threw up,” she said, believing she was addressing Supergirl. 

She watched as the young superhero seemed to suppress the urge to remark back and just said, “I’m sorry to bother you, Ms. Grant, but James Olsen said you wanted to see me. Something about you thinking your assistant was me?”

“Oh, for god's sake. Are you going to keep playing this tiresome game?” Cat went back to her dinner, her appetite returning. 

Then, again out of nowhere, Kara came into the room, saying, “I told you it wasn’t a game, Ms. Grant.”

The superhero just looked between them and said, “I’m afraid I can’t stay. There’s a lot of people out there who need saving, as you well know.” Then she walked up to Kara and held out a hand. “Nice to meet you, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Kara said back, shaking the hand. 

Cat just sat on her sofa, mouth open, shocked. She watched as the two shook hands. This was certainly unexpected. And a little trippy. 

Then they started acting like millennials when Kara said, “I really like your outfit.”

“I like your glasses,” Supergirl said back. 

“Thanks,” Kara said, smiling. 

Cat stood quickly and said, “We’re finished here. Kiera, stop treating Supergirl like she’s your personal assistant. She has important work to do, as do you.” She picked up the jar and started shaking it, holding it out toward Kara. “This bottle will not refill itself.”

“Goodnight, Ms. Grant,” Supergirl said and headed back toward the balcony. “Kara.” Cat’s eyes followed her, still holding the jar. Still shocked. 

“And, Kiera,” she said, turning back to Kara after Supergirl had left. “You can have your job back if you would like it.” Kara smiled immediately. Cat looked away, embarrassed and added, “As long as you don’t tell anybody I thought you were,” she paused, then made a dramatic motion with her hand, “you know.”

Kara quickly answered with, “I think that would be in both our interests, Ms. Grant.”

Cat narrowed her eyes and finished with, “And Kiera, I was wrong. Now that I’ve seen you both in the same room, you look nothing like her.” 

She didn’t see Kara’s smirk as she left the office. 

Cat went on with her meal after Kara left for the night. She was thinking to herself. How could she have been so wrong? All the evidence was there. And then some. 

Cat kept going back over her proof in her mind. Livewire, the earthquake, Kara’s arm. Supergirl choosing to save the train when the airport was the more logical choice. The hostile takeover. One coincidence was a coincidence. Two was improbable. Three? Now, that was impossible. 

Cat narrowed her eyes as she continued to think. All that news footage she had watched. Sometimes when the shot was on Supergirl’s face, she swore she saw those same eyes behind Kara’s glasses. Compassionate and determined. Deep and blue.

But how had they been in the same room just now? She thought back to Livewire and the device Supergirl had brought to trap her in. If the organization that Supergirl worked for had a device that could trap a person as living energy, surely they had a way to duplicate someone. 

All the times Kara disappeared randomly from work. All the times Cat needed the impossible from her and she delivered. All the times Supergirl and Kara had flashed that same smile at her. Of course, all the hot lattes that came after Supergirl was around. 

Cat smiled and shook her head a little. Okay, she thought, she can have it her way. This one time. Kara had made it clear that two things mattered most to her. Her secret identity and her job. 

Cat had loved Kara’s speech about how she needed CatCo. Needed her. Because the truth was that Cat needed her, too.

Fine. She would make the necessary adjustments. When Kara had to steal away in the middle of the day, she wouldn’t make a fuss. When the coincidences started piling up, she wouldn’t mention it. She would let Kara keep her secret. And she was more than happy to let Kara keep her job. 

Still smiling a little, she looked out toward Kara’s desk and sighed deeply. She was relieved. Maybe this was the best way to play it, after all. She could feign ignorance. Just this once.


	10. Childish Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There wasn't a lot of Supercat interaction in this episode, but I loved the idea of Cat and Kara being jealous over James and Lucy.

Kara and James anxiously stared at the two women in the office, talking and laughing. They didn’t like it. They didn’t like it one bit. 

For different reasons, of course. James was nervous about why Cat would want a meeting with his girlfriend, Lucy. The only possible reason he could think of was to offer her a job as an in-house attorney. CatCo needed legal counsel after Cat had fired her legal team following Dirk's takeover attempt. 

The idea of Lucy working at CatCo unnerved him. He loved Lucy. But he was quickly falling for someone else. 

Kara, on the other hand, simply hated the idea of another woman making Cat laugh. 

Look at Lucy, Kara thought. So well put together with her perfect posture and her two thousand dollar trousers. She had degrees and real world experience. Basically, Lucy was like a runway badass. She was older than Kara, and probably more mature. Kara didn’t think she would stand a chance against someone like Lucy Lane. 

“That was a genuine laugh,” Kara said. “That was not fake, it was real.” She certainly knew the difference. 

She and James stood there, waiting and fretting. When Winn suggested Kara use her super hearing, she said, “Yeah, but that just seems wrong, doesn’t it.” After a worried pause, she added, “Does it?”

James' attention was still turned toward the office when he said a firm, “Do it.”

Kara was just about to when the two women came out of the office. Cat walked away without a look or a word in their direction and Kara watched her go. 

Lucy came up to them with a happy expression and said, sounding surprised, “She is so nice.”

Kara quickly responded, “No one has ever said that.” She tried her best to keep the disappointment from her face. 

Lucy relayed the conversation to them and James and Kara were both left speechless. Again for different reasons. James was afraid of his attraction to Kara being found out. Kara just didn’t want the competition. 

She had noticed James noticing her more and more. She didn’t mean to, but sometimes when James was flirting, Kara would flirt back if she knew Cat was watching. She knew it was terrible to lead him on like that but she just wanted Cat to see… she wasn’t sure what. Maybe she wanted her see that she was desirable. That someone desired her. 

But Cat had just paid more attention to Lucy in thirty minutes than she had ever paid to Kara. And it made Kara so jealous. 

Later that evening, Cat was in her office. A lot of people were working late to get the Toyman story out to print before the deadline and also get it on the air. Cat was, of course, leading the effort. Making rushed phone calls, quickly proofing material, and generally moving all the cogs. CatCo had so many news outlets, from print to television to online and Cat took them all personally. When a big story broke, she tried her best to review everything going out. Especially when Supergirl was involved.

Kara had just come in. Cat grilled her about when she could set up an interview with Winn about his father. But when Kara made it clear that Winn wouldn’t be doing any interviews, Cat uncharacteristically backed down with, “Fine, but if I see him talking to Diane Sawyer, he’s fired.”

Cat was surprised at herself. She was never one to so quickly back off a potential source. But she could see that Kara was going to be protective of Winn. And Cat was protective of Kara. Apparently, that meant that her protection over the young woman extended to her friends. 

She really wanted to tell Kara to do something else anyway. 

“Now, I need you to go down to HR and get the offer packet for Lucy Lane. I want to make sure that everything is organized for her to sign tomorrow,” Cat said to her. 

Kara quickly asked, “Has she said yes yet?”

Cat quickly answered, “No, but she will.”

Cat knew exactly what she was doing. She had noticed Kara flirting with James. It made her crazy. She knew she had no right to be jealous. She had never made a move on Kara. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t intending to. 

She needed James to back the hell away from Kara. What better way than putting his own girlfriend right in between them. Maybe it was underhanded. Cat didn’t really care. 

She began to busy herself again when she heard Kara ask, “You don’t think you should have talked to James before offering his girlfriend a job?”

Cat sighed and said, “Oh, Kiera, James’ problem is not having his girlfriend at work. His problem is having his girlfriend at work when he’s having whatever he’s having with,” she paused and lowered her voice, “someone else.”

It sounded colder than she meant it to. 

Kara’s nervous laugh came out. The one Cat thought was adorable. Kara said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s nothing going on between James and I.” 

“As much as I love watching you millennials deny your feelings, I pay you not to have them. Now, I need a lawyer and this is a place of work, not the bullpen at TMZ. Go get me the offer packet.”

Kara just said, “Yes, Ms. Grant.” Then she was gone. And Cat was irritated. She wished she could just come out and say what she felt. Kara had reduced her to being divisive and petty. Though she wasn’t beneath either one of those things, it was more trouble to drive wedges than it was to talk. But it was easier. And Cat just wasn’t ready to talk.


	11. Strange Visitor From Another Planet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As we get into the second half of the season, the interaction between Cat and Kara gets much richer. I hope I can do it justice. 
> 
> When Adam comes into town, Kara helps Cat overcome her fears. 
> 
> Two added scenes, one before Kara, Cat, and Adam meet at Noonan's, and one after.

“Adam?” 

Cat asked the question quietly. Even though his back was to her and she hadn’t seen him in years, she knew it was him. A mother knows her son. Even an absent mother. 

When he turned around, she felt her heart start beating so fast. Then, at the same time, it seemed like it was going to stop. She was stunned. He looked so good. She took him in for a moment. He was taller than her. Not that it took much, but still, that day when you see that your children outgrow you. And he was handsome. 

Her emotions welled up and she was instantly so proud of her oldest. But her insecurities quickly kicked in as she wondered why he might be there. In National City. In her office. 

He greeted her with a simple, “Hi.” 

Cat smiled a little at the sound of his voice and said, “Hi,” back, still surprised. 

There was a short silence while they looked at each other. Then Adam said, “I’m, uh, sorry to show up while you’re working like this.”

Cat breathed out a small, flustered laugh and quickly replied, “That’s not a problem. That’s not a problem at all.” She paused and then asked, still confused, “Are you okay? Why, uh, why? Why today?”

Adam pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. “I got your letter.”

Then Cat was even more confused. She repeated, “My letter.” She quickly connected the dots. She was been writing drafts of a letter to her son for weeks. She didn’t send one. She didn’t even finish one. But she knew one person who would feel the need to “help” enough to do just that. 

So she smirked with controlled irritation and just said, “Of course.” She slowly turned to Kara and shot daggers from her gorgeous eyes, never losing the smirk. Kara took the queue and awkwardly exited the office. 

Cat turned back to Adam, glancing away. She didn’t remember the last time she felt this unsure of herself. She had no idea how to proceed. She needed to buy some time. 

“Well, I am so glad that you’re here.” She meant it. She was thrilled to see him. She was also terrified. 

“Thanks for reaching out,” he said. 

“There is so much to say. But I have a million things that I have to do right now.” She wanted to say all the things she was thinking right then. About how much she had missed him. How happy she was that he had come. But she froze. Her calculating mind took over and she felt the need to reaccess and plan what to say. It was a business tactic. But she didn’t know how else to be. 

He suddenly looked like he was sorry for interrupting her. “Yeah, yeah, I figured. I’m in town for a few days.” He shrugged and asked, “Are you free for dinner?”

She quickly responded. “I will make myself free.” Though, she was already free, she felt the need to make herself sound busy. Sound important. It was a other business tactic. 

He walked up to her and handed her the letter. She took it, still unsure. Then he walked out. She heard him say over his shoulder, “Hey, have your cheerleader email me.”

She wasn’t sure what he meant by Kara being her cheerleader. And she didn’t care. Her insecurities left the room with Adam and she was suddenly angry. 

“Kiera,” she snapped. She stalked back to her desk. 

She knew Kara was following her and she asked with heated patience, “What have you done?”

“Well,” Kara began, “You’ve been writing a lot of letters, but then throwing them away. And, uh, last week, you threw one, I won’t say at my head, but in my general direction and I read it, saw it was for Adam, and, I,” she paused and Cat heard the trepidation in her voice when she concluded, “I finished it for you.”

Cat gasped. What the hell?! She couldn’t believe it. Kara had crossed the line of professionalism before, but this?! 

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She slowly sat down, stretching her hands across the desk, trying to relax. 

Kara started getting frantic, “Uh, I know. I know this is, uh, this is really bad. I didn’t think he would just show up.”

Cat snapped her head up to look at her. Hard. She was so angry. “Who told you think? You wrote to my son. Now get out. You’re fired.” She meant it this time. This was too much. She thought she could trust Kara, but now? 

Kara raised her voice, trying to make her case, “But I was just trying to help you! You know my mom died. I don’t get to have a second chance with her. I don’t want that to happen to you and Adam.”

But Cat wasn’t phased. She stood and told Kara, “You crossed a line, Kiera. You don’t know him. I don’t even know him. I haven’t seen him since he was a baby. Since his father whisked him across the country. I told you, I-,” but Kara cut her off, coming around the desk to stand next to her. 

“You told me that losing Adam was the biggest regret of your life.” It was true. She had told her that. And it was the biggest regret of her life. Cat stayed quiet. There was no come back to that.

“Ms. Grant,” Kara went on, “I’ve known you for a while now and I don’t think you were ever going to send that letter and another year of you missing him would have gone by like that.” Kara snapped her fingers in Cat’s face, emphasizing the words. 

Cat jumped a little and just looked at her, surprised. “Sorry,” Kara covered. Then she said, quieter, after a moment, “Sometimes it’s easier to face the past with a little help.”

At that, Cat softened. She could never stay angry with Kara. Not when she looked at those blue eyes that were always begging her to see things from another perspective. 

She tried to calm herself again. Maybe Kara was right. After all, it was already done. She couldn’t undo it now. She took another deep breath and sat back down. She picked up the letter and unfolded it, saying harshly, “What kind of sentimental crap did you write to him?”

She recognized the first few lines from the letter she had originally started writing. When she picked up where Kara took over, she wasn’t completely horrified. She tilted her head. “Oh. Well, this isn’t actually awful.” Kara had actually managed to communicate Cat’s feelings pretty well. And Cat wasn’t really surprised by that. 

Then her voice quieted and she said, “He did come. He’s here.” She closed her eyes as her own words sank in. “Oh my god, he’s here.” The anxiousness she had felt upon first seeing Adam returned. 

Kara walked back around the desk to face Cat. “So should I make a dinner reservation, or am I fired?” 

Cat knew that Kara had learned to play her like a piano. Of course she wasn’t fired. Cat’s fondness of Kara had grown leaps and bounds. Though she was still wrapping her mind around what was happening, she knew that Kara’s only intentions were to help. And Cat also knew that sometimes to help, you had to interfere. 

She pondered. Dinner reservation. She was scared. But maybe Kara was right. If she did have help, maybe she could make it work. 

She sighed and shook her head. She needed to get the words out right now or she probably never would. “Make a reservation.” She watched as Kara went to leave and added, her original harshness back in place, “Oh, and Kiera.” Kara looked back with a smile, but Cat just said, “I’m going to make your life hell.”

But Kara just kept smiling and shrugged. “It’s worth it. Family always is.”

Cat was left at her desk, pondering what was happening. Adam was here. They were going to dinner. She lifted her fingers to her temples. Oh, god. She was suddenly overwhelmed. 

She realized what she would have to do. Maintain control of the situation at all times. She would have to project confidence so he would trust her. Once she was able to draw him in, then she could start being honest. But she couldn’t start with honesty. Oh, no, no, no. Always start with self promotion. A good humble brag always worked. It was a business tactic. And she didn’t know how else to be.   
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hours later, she was back at CatCo. On her balcony. Her safe place. She didn’t know where else to go. 

She let the tears run down her face freely. She’d messed up. Big time. She completely botched dinner with Adam. She didn’t realize she was doing it until it was too late. By then, he had gotten up with a cold, “Thanks for dinner, Cat.” Then he left. 

She had wanted to go after him, beg him to give her another chance. But her selfish pride kept her glued to her seat. She watched him walk out the door. 

Now here she was. She was so upset, she didn’t even want a drink. She would probably never see him again. She ruined her one chance. What a fool. She hung her head. The tears were beginning to subside. 

Then another emotion began creeping its way up. This was all Kara’s fault. And she deserved to know it. She picked up her phone and sent Kara a short, sharp text message. ‘Get to the office this second.’ She knew Kara would come running. She always did. 

Sure enough, not too much time had passed when Kara came scurrying onto the balcony with a frantic, “Yes, Ms. Grant.” 

Cat steeled her voice and was determined not to show any emotion. Truth be told, she didn't want to yell at Kara. She just wanted her to be around. Cat knew that Kara’s presence was the only thing that would sooth her. 

But she hardened her voice and said, “Did you not hear me the first ten times? I asked you to bring me a chamomile.”

Kara just said a quiet, “I’m sorry.”

But Cat ignored it and continued, “If you’re not going to be here to handle my calls, Kiera, then I suggest you keep walking and throw yourself off the balcony.”

Her voice caught in her throat. The tears were coming back. She couldn’t keep it up. And she couldn’t look Kara in the eye. She knew the younger woman would know something was wrong. 

And she did. Kara asked quietly, “How did dinner with Adam go?”

Cat still couldn’t look at her. “Oh, then there’s that.” Finally she turned to look at Kara. Tear stained face and all. Her sadness coming through her words. 

“Why didn’t you prep me?” They both knew Kara had tried to prepare Cat earlier. But Cat certainly wouldn’t admit that she had been wrong and Kara wasn’t about to drive the knife in deeper. 

“You took it upon yourself to lure him in with your sunny Danvers sentimentality and then you just let me go there unprepared.”

Kara stayed quiet, giving Cat the opportunity to get it all out. Cat looked away. She was so sad. “He’s never gonna talk to me again.”

Kara took a few steps closer, wanting to comfort Cat. She just said, “I’m sorry it didn’t go well.”

Cat’s anger faded. Who was she kidding? This wasn’t Kara’s fault. It was hers. “He didn’t come here to see me. He came here because of the letter. He may as well have come to see you.” 

Cat just looked at her. She wondered to herself why she couldn’t be more like Kara. Honest, open, kind. Why did she have to be so… her? Closed off, hard, arrogant. 

She looked at Kara and allowed herself to wish, just for a second, that Kara would take the last few steps and wrap her arms around her. Being held would feel so good right now. 

Then, as quickly as she let the thought in, she pushed it out. No, she deserved to feel this way. 

But Kara had other ideas. Cat saw that look come across her face. The one she got when Cat asked her to do something impossible and she was determined to deliver. 

“I’m gonna fix this. I promise,” Kara told her. 

She was out the door before Cat could stop her with a whispered, “Kara.”  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Less than an hour later, Cat’s message alert sounded on her phone. It was Kara. Cat looked up from the phone. She didn’t know if she could take any more. She did not do emotions well and she had had her fill for the day. For the year, for that matter. 

She sighed and looked back at the phone, opening the message. ‘Are you still at the office?’

Cat typed back a quick, ‘Of course I am.’

The response came. ‘Stay there.’ Cat narrowed her eyes. What was Kara up to? She shook her head and redirected her attention back to her computer. What else could she do but work? It’s how she coped. 

Shortly after, Kara came back into the office. Cat looked up at her with a worried expression. 

Kara just said, “Noonan’s. In an hour.” 

Cat just stared at her. Kara did it again, delivered the impossible. Then she looked away and closed her eyes, leaning her elbows on her knees and dropping her face. Seconds stretched out and finally Cat said, slowly and quietly, “I don’t think I can do this.”

Kara walked up to her desk. “Ms. Grant, you can do anything.” 

Cat looked up at her. “You have too much faith in me. You always have.”

At that, Kara slowly walked around the desk. She came and knelt down beside Cat’s chair. Cat was still leaning on her elbows like she just didn’t have the energy to sit up straight. Her eyes locked on Kara’s. 

She wasn’t completely surprised when Kara reached up and gently took one of her hands and said, “You have never given me a reason not to.”

Cat watched as a small smile appeared on Kara’s face. This girl. She might be my undoing one day, Cat thought. Kara just stood, still holding onto Cat’s hand. She lightly pulled, bringing Cat to her feet. 

Releasing the hand, Kara said, “Okay. Let’s prep.”

Cat took a deep breath and gave one determined nod. She was about to walk over to the couch when Kara held up a hand. “But this time you have to listen to me.” 

Cat nodded again, agreeing. They went to sit down on the sofa. And they just sat there, both of them feeling awkward at the reversal of roles. 

“Okay, look,” Kara began, “You are accustomed to having all the answers, and rightfully so. You’re probably the smartest person I know.”

Cat just looked at her, and Kara saw what she thought looked like insecurity. “But, right now, the most important thing that you can understand is that you don’t have any answers.” 

Cat just nodded slowly, glancing away. Kara continued, “You don’t have to talk. You don’t have to fill the silence. You don’t have to seem important.” Kara leaned forward a little, trying to get Cat to look at her. When she did, Kara said, “You’re already important to him.”

She finished with, “He needs to know that he’s important to you.”

Cat opened her mouth to talk, but stopped herself. She thought over her words and her questions and tried to narrow them down. Finally, she just asked, “How do I get him to see that?”

Kara just smiled a little. To her, it seemed like an obvious answer. To Cat, it seemed like an impossible task. 

“You just tell him, Ms. Grant.” Kara didn’t know what else to say. “You tell him that he’s important to you.”

Cat stayed quiet again. She closed her eyes and Kara thought she might cry again. When she talked, it was so quiet. “I feel so vulnerable right now.” 

Kara knew that the confession was a big deal. She scooted a little closer to Cat on the sofa. She made a risky move and took Cat’s hand again in both of hers. She held it lightly. 

“That doesn’t mean you’re weak,” Kara told her. “And it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. The fact you feel vulnerable is a good thing. Don’t put up any more walls. Just let him in.”

Cat looked down at their hands. She rubbed her thumb along the top of Kara’s hand for a second. She didn’t think it was possible for her to be the way Kara was asking her to be. But she knew she had to try. She wanted to try. Part of her always wanted to live up to Kara's expectations.

She nodded again and said, “I’ll try.” Kara smiled. She knew Cat was getting it. 

She withdrew her hand, not wanting to push. Then she said, a little more hesitantly, “There’s something else.”

“What?” Cat wanted to know. 

Kara scrunched her face together a little. “Sometimes,” she paused, almost afraid of the reaction she might get, “uh, sometimes, you can get this, um, this,” she trailed off. 

“Oh, just spit it out, Kiera,” Cat snapped a little. 

“You get this tone,” Kara finished. 

Cat rolled her eyes. She knew exactly what tone Kara was talking about. 

“It’s just that the tone kind of makes you sound like you don’t care. At all.” Kara accidentally kept going. “In fact, it makes you sound like you think everything that comes out of that person’s mouth is completely worthless and you hate the sight of them.”

Cat’s lips parted at the words. She looked like her feelings were hurt. She looked at the floor. Then she looked back up and asked, “Do I make you feel like that?”

Kara instantly felt bad. “No, Ms. Grant,” but she did add. “Not anymore. I know you better than that.” She clarified, though, “But you should do your best not to use the tone.”

Cat nodded. 

A few minutes later, they were walking into Noonan’s to meet Adam. Kara rattled off a few last minute thoughts to Cat. 

“Remember, be open. Let him talk. He has things he needs to say, too. Don’t get defensive if he says something you don’t like. And don’t use the tone.”

Cat didn’t say anything. Kara could tell she was nervous. They walked in and Adam was already sitting at a table. They ordered some coffee and sat in an awkward silence, no one really looking at anyone else. 

Kara cleared her throat. “Well, I know you both have a lot to say to each other-,”

But then, right out of the gate, Cat cut her off. “I’ve been informed that I’ve already said too much.”

“What you mean by that, despite the tone that we agreed you wouldn’t use,” Kara gave her a pointed look, “is that you may not have expressed yourself very well at dinner.”

But then Adam broke in, with a shockingly familiar tone. “No, she expressed herself perfectly. Over and over and over and ov-,”

“And what you mean by that is that you wish she would have focused more on you because of all years spent apart.”

There was the awkward silence again. Kara was acting as a buffer. But currently all she was doing was keeping the two Grants from decimating each other. They needed to talk. Kara looked at Cat. She could see the desperation in her eyes. She wanted to talk. She wanted to be honest. 

Kara made one last push. “Just say something to each other. Say something real.” She looked at Cat. “Even if it terrifies you. Just try.”

Finally, Cat looked at Adam. She hesitated, but just for a second. Then she quietly said, “I never got to put a picture that you’d drawn on the fridge.”

Finally, Adam looked at her. “I never got to tell you stories,” she paused, “and I never got to teach you how not to be afraid of the world.”

Kara smiled at her. Just a little. There she was. There was her Cat. Charging ahead, even though she was afraid. Opening up, even though it was the most frightening thing for her. This is why Kara had so much faith in her.

“And I never got to tell you how amazing I think you are. I never got to be your mom, but I am your biggest fan, Adam. And I am so, so sad that I didn’t get to see you grow up.”

Suddenly, all the pain that Adam had been hiding came to the surface and he quietly said, shaking his head, “You didn’t want me.”

But Cat’s pride crept back in and she quickly responded, “Oh, Adam, that is so not fair.”

Kara reigned her in again, “No, let him talk.” Cat looked at her and stayed silent.

Adam sighed and asked her, “Did you miss me?”

Cat’s eyes widened. How could he not know. And she realized, how could he? She had never told him. “Of course, I missed you. I missed you every second.” She unconsciously reached out and took his hand across the table, saying, “I still miss you.”

Adam just looked down and pulled his hand away. Kara immediately felt the sting in her own heart. 

Cat looked embarrassed. “Oh, I,” she stumbled, “I didn’t mean to,” she pulled her hands back into herself. But then on instinct, reached back out, feeling like the contact would help them both. 

Then, to her surprise, Adam reached back out and gently took his mother’s small hand in his own. And they just looked at each other. Finally, he whispered, holding back his own tears, “I missed you too.”

Kara quietly slipped out of her seat, seeing that the conversation between them had finally shifted. She looked at Cat and whispered, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ms. Grant.”

Cat held her eyes for a moment and nodded. Then she said an honest, “Thank you.”

After she left, Cat looked back to Adam. “I’m sorry.”

“But?” He was expecting an excuse. 

Cat said, “No buts. I’m just sorry.”

After Kara left, Cat and Adam stayed for a long time talking, getting to know each other. They made each other laugh. Then they made each other cry. Then they laughed again at the fact that they were crying. When they left, Adam pulled Cat into a tight hug. She let her head rest against him for a short moment and closed her eyes. 

When she got in her car, she couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t stop smiling. Her heart felt so light. She started driving and found herself at the one place that made sense. Outside Kara’s loft. 

It was late. She didn’t want to bother Kara, but she just had to share her happiness with someone. No one else seemed to matter. She lifted her hand to knock on the door and stopped. 

Wait, she thought. This was silly. Knocking on her assistant’s door at the late hour to share some good news? That was something people did when they were close. 

Cat took a second to think. Yes, that was something people did when they were close. So she stood up straighter. 

And she knocked on the door. 

She heard shuffling and the door opened quickly. Kara had still been awake. Cat’s eyes widened at the sight of her. Her lips parted a bit as she took her in. Then she smiled. 

As for Kara, she looked a little embarrassed. Her hair was pulled back. She was wearing some sweat pants and an old T-shirt. “Ms. Grant?! Um, what,” she was certainly surprised, but she definitely didn’t mind that Cat was there, “uh, what are you doing here?”

Still smiling, Cat said, “I just wanted to say thank you. Adam and I had a wonderful talk and you made that possible.”

Kara smiled back. “You would have figured it out on your own. You always do.”

Cat shook her head, looking Kara in the eye. “No, not this one. I needed help.” She took a step closer. “I needed you.”

Something shifted when she stepped closer and Kara’s smile faded. “I would do anything to help you,” she said to Cat. 

Then Cat nodded and put a hand on Kara’s jaw. The younger woman’s eyes slipped closed at the contact. Cat leaned in, just a little and placed a gentle kiss on Kara’s cheek. “Thank you, Kara. Thank you for everything.”

Cat backed away and smiled at her again. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Kara just nodded, her cheek tingling a little where Cat’s lips had made contact. 

Cat turned to walk away and said over her shoulder, “Oh, and, when you answer the door in the future, you may want to make sure you’re wearing your glasses.”

Kara’s eyes went wide and her hands shot to her face. Oh god, she thought! Cat just looked back at her with a smirk.


	12. Bizzaro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added several little scenes throughout this one. 
> 
> I like the one between Adam and Cat best. As I was writing this, I kinda felt pretty bad for Adam. 
> 
> This assumes Cat knows that Kara is Supergirl.

Kara sighed as she sat at her desk. She was having a hard time concentrating on her work today. Her personal life was turning into a mess and she had no idea how to fix it. 

She grabbed her cup and took a sip of her latte. The latte that Cat had picked up for her. She had ordered the drink perfectly, right down to the cinnamon sprinkled on top. Cat had smiled at her when she gave it to her. Kara was shocked. She had no idea that Cat knew her coffee order. She thought maybe Cat just went to Noonan’s and asked the barista what she got. But, knowing Cat, she probably already knew. Cat had a way of knowing things. After all, she had gotten a hold of Kara’s first grade report card. Her favorite coffee drink was nothing. 

Kara turned her head to look at Cat, who was working diligently in her office. She sighed again. She was going out with Adam tonight. She liked Adam. He was really nice, and really handsome. The first time they went out, he had given her some very sweet compliments. She had appreciated his words. They made her feel special. 

She was also really bad at saying no. She had tried to blow him off the first time he asked by saying she would have to make sure she was available first. But then Cat was the one who insisted she was. As much as she liked Adam, she wasn’t attracted to him. He would probably make a great friend. But he wasn’t for Kara. 

He was a Grant. But he was no Cat Grant. 

She kept watching the older woman while she worked. She was always so focused. Kara loved to watch her. She was beautiful. She watched the way her hands moved over the keys at her laptop. And she watched the way she took her glasses on and off, absentmindedly chewing on the end of the arms. She watched the way Cat twirled her hair when she was thinking. She watched the way she would walk circles around her office while she read something, never bumping into anything. She could watch Cat all day. 

She tore her eyes from the woman and shook her head. Why had she agreed to go out with Adam? She wished she were brave enough to tell Cat how she felt about her. 

She remembered what she had told Cat and Adam the night she tried to get them to talk to each other. ‘Say something real. Even if it terrifies you.’ But she was too afraid to follow her own advice. 

There was no way that someone like Cat would want someone like her. Cat was powerful and smart and beautiful and confident. She always knew what she wanted and she always went for it. So if she had wanted Kara, she would have pursued her by now. Right? 

Kara sighed a final time and forced her mind to focus on her work. 

Inside the large office, Cat sat typing away at her computer. She knew Kara was watching her. She always did. When she noticed that Kara had gone back to her work, she relaxed and let her shoulders slump, just a little. She took off her glasses and pinched her nose, closing her eyes. She was so tired. 

She’d been up all night wondering what to do. Adam liked Kara. Like, he liked her, liked her. What a ridiculous situation. Carter already had a crush on Supergirl, and now her oldest son had a crush on Kara. Cat sighed. Of course, her sons had great taste in women. They obviously got it from her. All three Grants crushing on one woman.

As soon as Adam had expressed his interest in Kara, Cat knew she didn’t have a chance. How could she interfere with Adam’s happiness? She had done enough of that. No, Cat had decided right off the bat that if Adam wanted Kara, she wouldn’t get in the way. After all, she had had plenty of time to scoop Kara up. 

She glanced up at the younger woman. She had taken her for granted. She just thought she would always have time later. The way Kara would look at her sometimes. She would swear she felt the same way. 

When Adam had called her last night saying that Kara had to rush out of dinner early, she wasn’t exactly sympathetic. And she had also appreciated that he wanted to spend the extra time with her. Secretly, she had hoped that Kara had simply changed her mind. 

At the end of the day, Kara came to tell her that she was heading out. “Ms. Grant, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Cat looked up at her with a small smile. “Have a good time tonight,” she told Kara. She tried so hard to mean it. 

Kara just nodded and smiled back a little, trying to seem happy.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Despite her hesitancy to go back out again, she was actually having a good time. She and Adam talked together easily. He really would make an amazing friend, she thought.

Kara didn’t mean to, but she found herself talking about Cat a lot. “Working for your mom has its ups and downs, but it’s good for me. She’s been a really great mentor to me, whether she knows it or not.”

They were walking along outside in a park. It was nice out and they had decided to take a walk. 

Adam asked her, “What about your mom? Are you guys close?”

Kara didn’t answer right away. But then she said, “We were. She died. My dad, too.”

Adam took a second. He wasn’t expecting that. He didn’t know what to say, so he just asked, sympathetically, “Oh my god, what happened?” 

“Uh, there was,” Kara stumbled. She was getting weary of making up different ways of saying how her parents died. She wished she could just say it. “There was an accident. I wasn’t there.”

Adam slowed and then stopped walking. He felt terrible for Kara. She was too sweet and too good to have to carry such a load. 

“Kara, I’m, I’m so sorry.” 

Kara turned toward him. She could see on his face that he was touched at the knowledge. She appreciated that. But, as always, she played it off. “No, no. It was a long time ago. And I was adopted by this really wonderful family that was great to me, so,” she tried to smile as best she could, “everything had a happy ending.”

Adam just looked at her. He could already read her so well. “But,” he said, and waited for her to answer. 

Kara hesitated, trying to decide how much to say. Adam was so kind. She still didn’t know him very well. But he obviously cared for her. Maybe if she opened up to him, she could care for him too. Then maybe she could forget about how much she wanted someone else. 

She quietly said, “After that, it was hard for me to feel normal, I guess. You know, like I’m where I’m supposed to be. Does that make any sense?”

“Yes, but Kara, I should tell you something.” He took a couple steps until he was right in front of her. He was so close, she could smell his expensive cologne. Then he leaned in until his lips were right next to her ear and he whispered, “No one ever feels normal.”

He pulled back, just a little, and he was still so close. Kara looked at him. He was so handsome. And he had those eyes. They weren’t the same as Cat’s, but they were still so similar. They were deep and honest. And she could see that he wanted her. And Kara wanted so much to be wanted. 

They leaned into each other and pressed their lips together. It was slow and it was gentle, like the two of them. When they parted, they were smiling at each other. 

But then, just as Adam was about to lean in again, they heard a whoosh, and Kara was gone! Adam caught just a flash of blue and red as Bizarro carried her away!

He ran a few steps, looking toward the sky and he shouted as loud as he could, “Kara!” 

Then he stood there, completely helpless. He didn’t know what to do. He grabbed his phone and called 911 at the same time that he began to run back to his car. He frantically relayed what had just happened to the dispatch officer on the other end of the line while he drove as fast as he could downtown, toward CatCo. If anyone would know what to do, it was his mother. 

He rushed off the elevator and toward Cat’s office. 

“Cat!” Adam shouted her name, but something seemed off about it, so he shouted again, “Mom!”

She came rushing out of her office and met him in the empty bullpen. Most everyone had gone home by then. 

Cat came up to him quickly and grabbed his arm. “Adam, what is it? What’s wrong?” She looked around him and then toward the elevators. Her voice dropped and she asked, “Where’s Ka-, Keira?” 

He tried to calm himself as he answered her. “That thing, that Supergirl Bizarro thing. It swooped in and it just,” he paused. He still couldn’t believe it, “it just took her.” 

Cat unconsciously tightened her grip on his arms. She tried to stay calm herself, not wanting to worry Adam further by getting flustered. She released her hold on him and walked a few steps passed him. After a few deep breaths, she turned back around. 

“She’ll be alright. I promise.” Supergirl had already defeated Bizzaro before, she could do it again. Cat had faith in her. 

But Adam didn’t have the knowledge to have the same faith. “Mom, how can you say that? We need to do something. I mean,” he glanced all around, like he was thinking as fast as he could, “ You’ve got connections right? Can’t you get a helicopter or something to search the city.”

Yes, actually, Cat thought. That wasn’t a bad idea. But, no. She knew Kara had a team of her own. She needed to trust that now. They would take care of her. “Adam, no, darling,” she tried to sound as soothing as she could, “we just need to wait. Trust me. She’ll come through that door apologizing any minute. The police are looking. She’ll be alright.”

Finally, Adam calmed down. “I should have done more,” he said, quietly. “I mean, why take her and not me?”

Cat wished she could explain. 

Then, just as Cat had said, Kara came walking in, saying, “It was just dumb luck.”

Cat tried to hide the relief that she felt flood over her by putting her scolding tone in place. “Kiera, we have been worried sick about you. I ordered an Amber alert.” 

Adam gave his mother his own scolding look over his shoulder at the lie. He knew his mom was just putting her defenses back in place. 

Kara just looked at her and said, “Ms. Grant, could I please have a minute alone with Adam?”

Cat took the hint and said, “Oh, well, I guess I’ll just go roam the hallways of my building.”

She walked out of the office and down the hallway. She made sure no one was looking and quickly ducked into a stairwell. She leaned against the wall and covered her face with her hands. She sucked air in and breathed it out as hard as she could, calming herself. 

She refused to cry. But she wanted to. She felt pulled in so many directions. When Kara had walked in, her instinct was to run to her and throw her arms around her, grateful that she was safe. 

At the same time, she wanted to yell at her for putting Adam in such a terrible position. She had seen how scared he was when he came in, thinking that Kara had come to some kind of certain doom at Bizzaro's hands. Then to hear him say that he should have done more. There was nothing he could have done. 

Cat pushed off the wall and paced around the landing between the flights of stairs. She was furious that Adam had been so close to Bizzaro, so close to danger. If she wanted to, Bizarro could have killed Adam where he stood. 

Cat’s expression grew hard. Putting Adam in danger was unacceptable. But she knew it was partly her fault. She had pushed them together. Kara and Adam. She knew that Kara was Supergirl and she knew that Supergirl had enemies. She should have known better than to let her son get close to Kara. 

She shook herself and closed her eyes. No, she couldn’t get mad at Kara. If Cat had had things her way, she would be putting herself in the same dangerous position. 

Stop, Cat told herself. This was too much. She was trying to process her feelings for Kara while, at the same time, pushing Kara to someone else. Her own son, who she wanted to be happy. Who she would give up anything for. 

She stood up straighter and took another breath. She put her mask back in place and opened the door, making her way back toward her office. She glanced in and noticed that Kara was gone. Adam was sitting on the couch, his head hung low. 

Cat knew that look. She walked in slowly and quietly, not wanting to startle him. She came and sat down next to him on the sofa. She quietly asked, “What happened?”

He lifted his head, but didn’t look at her. He just said, “She broke up with me.” Cat immediately felt a pang in her own heart. He looked so sad. After a second he got up and walked over to her bar. He poured himself a drink and downed it. Then he poured another and walked back over to the sofa, sitting back down. 

Cat wanted to comfort him somehow. She knew Kara Danvers had a way of stealing your heart. “Adam, I’m so sorry.” She didn’t know what else to say. “What can I do?” She wasn’t good with this sort of thing. 

Adam just looked at her and gave her a small smile. He liked his mom. She was turning out to be pretty cool. Right now, just her presence was comforting. Just being with someone who cared. “Just talk to me for a little while,” he said, and laid back against the sofa, resting his head on the back and closing his eyes. 

Cat furrowed her eye brows. “Uh,” she hesitated. Never in her life had anyone asked her to talk to them. She was confused. “What do you mean? Talk to you about what?”

Adam let out a quiet laugh. “Cat Grant doesn’t know what to talk about.” He looked at her and gave her a suggestion. “Tell me a story.” 

Cat smiled slowly. “Okay,” she said, holding the smile. She knew he was referring to their talk at Noonan’s, when she had told him that one of the things she regretted was not getting to tell him stories. 

She had no idea what to say. A made up children’s bedtime story seemed silly. She could read one of the novels she had tucked away in her desk draw. No, that was impersonal. 

Then she thought of something and smiled a little bigger. “Okay,” she said again, “I’ve got it.” He tilted his head toward her, taking a sip of his drink, waiting. She started her story with, “Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted to base jump off Mount Kilimanjaro.” 

Adam immediately laughed, almost spitting his drink out. Cat thought that was hilarious and laughed too. They laughed together for a minute, letting the happy sound wash over them. It soothed the hurt and confusion they were both feeling. 

Finally, after they calmed down, Adam said, “Okay, you definitely have to keep going ‘cause you hooked me with the first line.”

Cat just smiled and continued her story. They stayed in the office for a while into the night, talking and getting to know each other more. They shared stories about their pasts and hopes for their futures. By the time they left, they both felt better. 

But, Cat laid in bed awake for a long time. She didn’t know what to do. She could keep letting herself go crazy over Kara. She could say something to her, confess her feelings. But now, after Adam, it just didn’t seem right. 

Then there was that. The fact that Kara had hurt Adam. The fact that Kara was immature enough not to see the danger. The fact that the younger woman had led him on, only to snatch away his hope. 

Deep down, Cat knew that Kara had broken it off with Adam for the right reasons. She had learned from the experience. Now she did know the danger. But still, Cat knew Adam would be crushed if she made any kind of move on Kara. And she couldn’t do that to him. She had to choose. Kara, or a relationship with Adam. 

So that was it. Cat would have to cut off her feelings for Kara. By whatever means necessary. No more lunches on the balcony, no more casual touches, no more quiet compliments. This had to be done. Whatever was between her and Kara was over. It was time to draw a line. 

What Cat didn’t know was that across town, Kara was laying awake, too. Bizzaro had been defeated. She felt awful about what had happened to those women. She felt awful for Bizzaro. 

And she felt so bad about Adam. He was a great person. But Kara just couldn’t do it. She couldn’t fake loving someone when she was in love with someone else. She knew Cat would probably be upset with her for breaking up with Adam. But she also knew that Cat would get passed it. 

Maybe if she explained to Cat why she did it. Yes, to keep Adam safe from her enemies, but also because she had feelings for her. Because she had feelings for Cat. Maybe Kara could somehow find the words to say it. ‘Say something real. Even if it terrifies you.’

She sighed. Yes, that’s what she would do. She was going to tell Cat how she felt. Maybe it was too soon after Adam and maybe Cat would be furious with her, but she had to tell her. 

So that was it. Kara would tell Cat how she felt. Let the chips fall where they may. It was time to draw a line. It was time to give whatever was between them a chance. 

The next day at work flew by. Cat was out of the office most of the day, leaving Kara to fret over what to say to her. She went over a hundred different speeches in her mind. They ranged from short and to the point to hopelessly romantic to drawn out and bumbling. 

She sat at her desk, shaking her head at herself. Finally, Cat came back to the office. She walked straight in without a word to Kara. She had been distant today. Kara knew that she was probably upset about her breaking up with Adam. She would just have to help Cat understand why. 

She watched Cat in her office as she sat down on the sofa and began to busy herself with the layout edits that she had missed during the day. 

Kara waited for a few minutes. But she couldn’t take her eyes off Cat in that black dress and she found herself quietly knocking on the office door before she meant to. 

“Ms. Grant?”

Cat just responded with an uninterested, “Hmm.”

“Uh, I don’t know if you talked to Adam,” she began. 

“I did,” Cat told her. “He’s leaving,” she stood up, again without looking at Kara. “He’s going back to Opal City.”

Kara took a breath in. “So soon.” She felt bad. She assumed he would stay longer to be with Cat. 

“Well, he said that now that we’re back into each other’s lives, he’ll come visit me, of course, but there’s nothing urgent keeping him here in National City.” Cat spoke nonchalantly, like it didn’t bother her that Adam was leaving. 

Kara knew better. She recognized this. This is when Cat acts dismissive, like she doesn’t care about what’s happening. Kara started to get nervous. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. 

Then Cat went on as she sat down behind her desk. “You know, Kiera, I’ve always thought that you and I were very different, but I’m starting to realize that we may be more alike than I thought.”

Oh no, Kara thought. Sarcasm. This isn’t good. Cat hadn’t used her sarcasm as a defense against Kara in a while. Kara knew that, and now that she saw it coming back, she nervousness turned into anxiety. 

“In what way?” She asked Cat, knowing that Cat was going to tell her anyway. 

With the tone still in place, Cat said, “I lost Adam years ago because I prioritized other things over him. Namely, myself, and while that may help you build an empire, it does not help you build a life.” 

Then Cat finally looked at her. Her eyes were cold. They had lost the gentle care that Kara was becoming accustomed to. She finished with, “For that, you need to put other people first. I thought you understood that, but I guess I was wrong.”

Kara tried to jump in. “Ms. Grant, I want to explain why-,”

“Why you broke my son’s heart?” Cat interrupted her. 

No, Kara thought. Here it was. Cat was withdrawing from her. All of the time and effort that they had both put forth to break down barriers and let each other in, Cat was about to shatter all of it. 

“Whatever happened between you and Adam, Kiera, is your own personal business.”

Kara tried again. “I just want you to know that it wasn’t because-,”

But Cat cut her off again. “I don’t want to know. In fact, I think from this moment on, our relationship should be strictly professional. Boss, employee.”

Everything in Kara wanted to scream at Cat not to do this. She wanted to grab her and shake her and make her see that the reason she broke things off with Adam was because she was madly in love with her. But she should have a known. Cat wasn’t a traitor, and she would always be loyal to her son. 

Suddenly, Kara’s heart sank and sadness overwhelmed her. Then she heard Cat finish with, “That way everything is very clear. Nobody gets confused, nobody gets hurt.” 

Kara couldn’t believe it. But if this is what Cat wanted. “Of course,” was all she said, “if that’s what you want.”

Cat looked back down at her work and Kara slowly turned. She walked out of the office and kept walking passed her desk. She turned down the hall and went into the same stairwell that Cat had gone into the night before. 

She closed the door and just stood there. She couldn’t move. She was overcome with emotion. She felt like her stomach was swirling. Then she lifted a hand to cover her mouth and she burst into tears. Kara slowly sat down on the steps and let her head rest against the wall. 

And she cried. 

Back in her office, Cat turned her chair to face the screens on the wall. She crossed her arms and blinked her eyes, fighting the tears back. She hated herself. She saw the sadness come across Kara’s face and she thought she might break. 

She had thrown away her chance. A chance with the best person she had ever met. A chance with the one person who could maybe, just maybe, make her happy. But not anymore. 

All the blinking couldn’t stop the tears from running down Cat’s face.


	13. For the Girl Who Has Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly Cat's perspective while Kara is away fighting the Black Mercy. 
> 
> Assumes that Cat knows Kara is Supergirl.

Cat kept glancing up to the desk outside her office. Kara was late. And every minute that ticked by and every time she glanced up with no assistant, Cat got more and more upset. 

She knew that Kara wouldn’t be happy about the talk they’d had the night before. She wasn’t happy about it herself. But it had to be done. Things were getting too complicated between them. But she certainly didn’t expect Kara to not come in to work. 

She always came in. No matter what terrible things Cat said to her during the work day. No matter how much they argued or disagreed, Kara always came to work. No matter what she said that hurt the younger woman’s feeling, she was still always there. 

But today, she wasn’t. Cat’s emotions kept going back and forth. At first, she had felt badly. Maybe she had been too hard on Kara. But then the more time that went by without an explanation or call in, she started getting angry. But then more minutes would go by and Cat was afraid that maybe she had driven Kara away for good. But then Adam texted her to let her know that he had gotten on his plane to head home, and her anger returned. 

Not to mention the fact that she didn’t have her latte. Unacceptable. 

She had tried to call Kara. She left a cold and quiet voice mail notifying her that she was late. Cat had simply said, “You’re late,” and hung up. She tried texting, too. No response. 

Finally, after looking up at the desk for the hundredth time, she got up and stalked out to the bullpen. Her eyes landed on Winn and she decided that he would be the recipient of her ire until Kara returned. 

“Where is Kiera, and why isn’t she answering her cell phone?” Cat spoke calmly as she walked up to him. 

Winn stood, nervously. Anytime Cat addressed him directly, he always got a little skittish. “Um, you know, maybe she can’t,” he said, indicating the televisions on the wall scrolling through the news. “We’re actually in the middle of the worst solar storm in recorded history. It’s just been scrambling communication signals all morning. I’m sure there’s a, there’s a good reason-,”

Cat cut him off, her irritation surfacing. “I know the reason. She’s avoiding me. She’s obviously afraid I’m going to retaliate because she drove my son away right when I was repairing my relationship with him.” She narrowed her eyes and finished with, “but I am a professional. I do not do upset.”

Winn looked like a deer in headlights. He had no idea what to say. 

Cat paused and her tone became cold. “So you can tell Kiera that it is safe to resume her duties.”

Winn just silently turned away and so did Cat. 

She looked at Kara’s desk again. Where was she? She sighed and rolled her eyes a little and walked back into her office. 

About an hour later, Cat’s anger was only growing. This was ridiculous. Whether she was hurt or not, it was unprofessional for Kara not to call in. As Cat walked through the bullpen, she was looking for a reason to be mean. 

“Who let this cheap arrangement in here,” she snapped, grabbing a small flower bouquet from someone’s desk and simply throwing it in the trash. The offended employee, of course, stayed quiet. 

Then Cat addressed Winn again, “and where have you been and where is Kiera?”

“Kara, see um,” he stumbled.

Cat quickly replied, dripping with sarcasm, and slowly, “Use your words.”

“I, yes. I, yes,” he was desperately trying to come up with an explanation. “You know, I did see Kara, Ms. Grant. She was bitten by a tick.”

Winn looked over to James, who was hiding in his office. James was looking at him through the glass, giving him a signal to try to keep talking and convince her. 

So Winn did. “She had a little allergic reaction, yeah. Vomiting, swelling. Oh god, she had these swollen ankles, it was awful, and I-,” he was trying to recover. This wasn’t going well. “You know, you should have seen the size of this tick,” his nervous laugh kicked in, “it was like-,” 

But he saw James trying to cut him off. He looked back and forth between James and Cat. James was telling him to tone it down. 

So Winn stuttered again, “It was, it was normal sized. You know, small. It was, it was, actually it was a bunch of little ticks. Li, like lice. It was, - Kara has lice.”

Cat let him go just to see what he would come up with. Then she narrowed her eyes at him for the second time. She spoke with her voice low. “I have been watching you cover for her, day after day, putting yourself and your job in jeopardy.” 

She took a step toward him and he immediately backed up. Her voice became quieter and harder at the same time when she continued, “and for what? Now you tell her that she is expected to be back at her desk within the hour, or she can kiss this little mediocre job goodbye.”

She slowly turned and walked away from him. She went and sat at her desk and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and willed her anger to subside. She didn’t even know if she meant it, that she would fire Kara for not coming in. 

She looked back up to the televisions on her wall, scanning the breaking news stories. There was nothing involving Supergirl. And an emergency had never taken Kara this long. What if she was in danger? 

Cat decided to try one more text, though she didn’t want to. She was trying to remain cold and distant on purpose. But she couldn’t help it. She cared. 

With another sigh, she picked up her phone and typed, ‘Are you okay?’ She quickly hit send before she changed her mind. Then she leaned her head against the back of the chair. She needed to focus. This was a place of work. Her work. 

She turned back to her computer and went back to it.   
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hank was not impressed as he rode up the elevator. The shoes he was wearing were insane. How did human women walk in these things? Alex had convinced him to impersonate Kara again. 

He didn’t mind it so much as Supergirl, but as Kara Danvers was a different story. Her sweater was itchy, her skirt was short, and her shoes were uncomfortable. But he would endure it for Kara. And he would endure Cat Grant. He had heard how much grief Kara took from her, and Hank wasn’t planning on being so accommodating. 

The elevator dinged and he walked out. He quickly realized he was walking like a man when he stumbled a little in the shoes. He corrected himself and awkwardly looked around. 

James and Winn were immediately at his side. “Kara?” Winn asked. “You’re back!”

But Hank just said dismissively, “Sorry to disappoint, Mr. Schott, but Miss Danvers is still incapacitated.” 

James asked, confused, “Well, then who are you?”

“An agent of the DEO sent to maintain Miss Danvers cover until she returns herself.”

Winn reached out to his face and asked, “Is this like some kind of organic bio-,”

But Hank grabbed his hand and said, “Touch my face, lose your hand.”

They stopped at the edge of the bullpen. Hank clasped his hands behind his back, his face completely neutral. 

James just whispered a little frantically, “Do you have any idea what you’re getting yourself into? I mean, have you ever been an assistant?”

“I’m an elite agent of an intergalactic paramilitary force, I think I can handle Cat Grant.”

He left them staring at each other and walked toward Cat’s office. He set down a latte in front of her on the desk and turned to leave. 

But Cat’s angry voice stopped him. “Oh, how lovely for you to come into the office, on a weekday, no less. You are a real hero, Karla.” 

She picked up the latte as Kara asked, in a very matter of fact manner, “Was there a reason you called me in, Ms. Grant?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Cat said, rolling her eyes, “I’m just dealing with a little story about a solar storm that threatens all global commerce and promises civilian unrest.” She gave a nonchalant shrug to emphasize the sarcasm.

She watched as Kara dipped her head down, seeming to remember her place. Then Cat slammed her laptop closed on the desk, startling the girl. She reminded her that she had called her in for a reason. 

“Yes,” Cat dived in, frustrated. “Book me interviews with Barbara at NASA, Eduardo at the NSA, and Gina at the White House. I want attributable quotes and no press releases, and if they try to evade you, you remind them that I am still holding on to their Hamilton tickets.”

“Wait,” Kara said, looking confused and trying to remember what Cat had said, “uh, Eduardo, uh, who?” 

“Oh, first base, keep up,” Cat couldn’t remember the last time she had spoken to Kara so harshly. But she also didn’t a remember the last Kara had to ask her twice about an instruction. 

Kara turned to leave as Cat took a sip of her latte. She almost choked on it. She forced herself to swallow the thick liquid with a resentful, “Mmm,” trying not to spit it out. 

Kara quickly turned back as Cat asked, “What kind of milk is in this?”

“Whole, ma'am.”

“Whole milk has not passed my lips since I rode a bicycle with streamers on the handles.”

Then Kara challenged her with a tone that was unfamiliar to Cat. “Well, perhaps if you were clearer with instructions, there would be less of a problem with execution.”

Cat turned to her, ready for a fight. “Well, I am so glad that you are so comfortable that you can speak so honestly. Allow me to do the same for you.” 

Then she saw Kara’s expression change to the familiar shade of intimidated. “All this time you’ve been prancing around my office, pretending to be someone you’re not. Well, I see the real you, and I cannot unsee it. So I advise you to strap in.” 

With her hands on her hips, Cat took a slow step into Kara’s space and, just as she expected, Kara took a quick step back and left the office without a further word. 

Cat watched her go with narrowed eyes. What the hell was that, she thought to herself. Whole milk? Seriously? Was it some kind of childish prank? And she had called her ma'am. Kara knew Cat hated being call “ma’am.” It made her feel old. Was she trying to widen the gap between them? Drive the wedge further? That wasn’t what Cat had expected. 

Something was up. Something besides the talk they had had. Kara was just off. 

Cat shook it off and reminded herself that she was supposed to be angry the other woman. She walked to her desk and went back to her work. She would wait and see how the rest of the day shaped up. 

Sure enough, later in the afternoon, Kara came back in with the same cavalier attitude and said, “Ms. Grant, if I may.” 

Cat just turned away from her wall of screens and looked at Kara, then to her phone as Kara began. “It’s clear I’ve caused you emotional distress and I want you to know that that pains me a great deal.”

“What, you resigning from Congress?” Cat quipped, annoyed. 

Kara was having problems looking her in the eye when she said, “I just think that considering our personal issues, I would be wise for me to take the day-,”

Cat interrupted with a loud, “Oh, hold on, hold on, I want to record this.” She opened the recorder on her phone for effect. She walked over to the sofa and said, “It sounds an awful lot like you’re asking for the day off after being three hours late.” 

Kara put her hands on her hips and dramatically looked at the floor. Cat immediately rolled her eyes and put down her phone. Kara looked up with the most obvious fake cry and croaked out, “The truth is, I am so very sorry Ms. Grant, because I respect you so much and I never meant to hurt you.”

“Or Adam,” Cat prompted. 

But Kara just knit her brows in confusion. “Of course not, him.” She turned on the sobbing. “I just don’t know what came over me.”

Ignoring the ridiculous show, Cat stood and said, “Kiera, what is the most important thing I told you when I hired you?”

Kara searched for an answer, “No whole milk in the lattes?” 

Cat narrowed her eyes for the hundredth time that day and said, “No crying at work. Ever. Especially not big, fat crocodile tears. Do you really think you can come in my office and manipulate me with this Catskill Summer Stock performance? No.” 

Cat had had enough. “But by all means, take the day off because I cannot stomach looking at you any longer.”

Kara once again quickly left the office. Cat sat back down on the sofa. Never in almost two years had Cat seen such a display from her. And she had never asked for the day off before. And she had certainly never tried to so obviously trick Cat. 

Wait, Cat thought, furrowing her eye brows. She turned her eyes toward the balcony door and remembered the night Supergirl had dropped in and met Kara. The two of them in the same room. So coincidental, considering Cat had just confronted Kara about being Supergirl and threatened to fire her. 

Cat had easily connected those dots and knew that someone was somehow impersonating Supergirl. Or Kara. She hadn’t been sure about that part. But she had been sure that there was only one Kara Danvers in the room that night. 

Cat took in and released a deep breath as she realized that the same thing must be happening now. This wasn’t Kara at all. It was the only explanation. Kara may be upset over Cat drawing a line of professionalism between them, but Kara had always been mature enough to handle Cat’s rebuffs in the past. 

Cat suddenly became worried. Something was wrong. Something was wrong with Kara. She quickly looked at her phone to see if Kara has ever texted her back. She hadn’t. In fact, it didn’t look like she had even seen any of Cat’s messages. Oh god, Cat thought, I hope she’s alright.   
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later that night, Kara was back in her apartment. Finally alone. She was sitting on her sofa with her knees pulled to her chest. Tears were quietly running down her face. 

The Black Mercy had given her an amazing gift. She had seen her family again. It seemed so real. Her mother was so beautiful and so loving. Just like she remembered. But it wasn’t real. And it was all torn away in an instant. Again. 

And Astra was gone. The woman who still called her “little one.” 

Fresh tears fell from Kara’s eyes. She had kept up a brave front while James, Winn, and Alex were there. Alex had offered to stay, but Kara wanted to be alone. It was a lot to process. And she knew she was going to cry, and she was tired of Alex seeing her cry. 

She needed to distract herself. She reached over to the coffee table and picked up her phone. She hadn’t looked at it all day. Four missed calls and lots of texts. The first call was from Cat. The second and third, from Alex and Winn. Then another from Cat. 

She listened to the voice mail Cat had left her. “You’re late.” 

Kara smiled a little. What did she expect? That was Cat. Though she did catch the angry tone. She became worried. What kind of damage had Hank done while he was there? 

Hank. He had killed Astra. She shook her head. She couldn’t think about it anymore. 

She opened her text messages. A few from Alex, checking on her after they had left. Then some of Cat, sprinkled throughout the morning. ‘Where the hell are you?,’ ‘It’s unprofessional not to call in,’ ‘This is an incredibly immature way to handle this situation,’ and the last one, ‘Are you okay?’

One side of Kara’s mouth turned up in a tiny smile. She felt suddenly relieved. Cat still cared. The text wasn’t much, but Kara knew that for Cat, it was a lot. 

She looked at the time. It was late. Still, she wanted to reach out to her. She texted back, ‘I’m okay, Ms. Grant. I’m sorry if I seemed strange today.’

The response was almost immediate. ‘No excuses. You had better be on time and ready to work tomorrow.’

Kara replied, ‘Of course. And thank you.’

Kara leaned back into the sofa and closed her eyes. She desperately wanted to repair things with Cat. But Cat was still so closed off. It would take time. But Kara didn’t mind that. Cat was worth waiting for. 

Across town, Cat sat up in her bed, staring at her phone, wanting to text Kara back again. She felt so grateful to know that she safe. Then, she thought that maybe she should confront Kara the next day about the impersonator. 

Sometimes, Cat got so tired of pretending she didn’t know Kara’s secret. It went against her nature to play the fool. And Kara had just slipped again with a text. Of course Cat knew she was okay. She had already seen “Kara” after she sent the text asking if she was okay. 

But regardless of the complications between them, whatever Kara was dealing with was beginning to affect her work. They needed a solution. 

Cat sighed. She knew she should just tell Kara that she knew she was Supergirl. But then, to Cat, it seemed like putting it out there would muddy the waters even more. They could barely even speak to each other at this point. How were they supposed to work around something as unpredictable as Supergirl’s save the day schedule. 

Then Cat sighed as she thought of something. It could work. She made a disapproving face at her own idea as she mulled over all the hardships it would entail for her. But it would allow Kara to do her work as Supergirl and maintain their new professional standard. 

She decided she would start tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted so much to put in a conversation between Kara and Hank where Hank tells her some things he sensed from Cat. But it didn't work considering Kara was so upset with him after Astra.
> 
> Maybe later.


	14. Truth, Justice, and the American Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything stays true to canon in this chapter. 
> 
> There are a couple added things, most significantly, at the end. 
> 
> Assumes that Cat knows Kara is Supergirl.
> 
> Introducing Siobhan Smythe, Supercat ruiner.

Kara couldn’t sleep. She got up from her bed and walked into her living area. She sat down on the couch with a sigh. She looked around, trying to find something to distract her. 

She couldn’t stop thinking. Her mind kept going over and over the last week. It was almost too much for Kara to handle. The Black Mercy, losing Astra. Then losing Cat. Alex had tried to be comforting. Alex was always good at that. But not this time. This time, Kara had to find her own way of dealing with the situation. 

If she had learned anything, it was that if she really wanted to be a superhero, she had to stop letting people coddle her. She had to learn to be strong on her own. 

But she didn’t want to be. She wanted to lean on someone. Stronger together. It was in her nature to need people. As much as Alex had brought her through, right now she wanted someone else. 

The last week at work had been almost unbearable. Since Cat had drawn her line of professionalism in the sand, they had never been more distant. She hardly acknowledged Kara and when she did, it was cold. Kara hated it. 

And she missed Astra so much. Tears stung her eyes for a moment. They had been so close to reconciliation. But Hank had stolen that chance. Just as Kara had begun to really trust him. 

She laid her head back against the couch. She still couldn’t get her mind to quiet. It kept going in circles, thinking over all the people she cared about. Alex, Cat, Astra, Hank, and back again. The thoughts began to swirl together until she couldn’t distinguish one situation from another. Finally, sleep over took her. 

The next morning came too quickly for the small amount sleep she had gotten. She rushed by Noonan’s to get her breakfast and Cat’s latte. When she hurried off the elevator, Winn was waiting for her. 

“We have a problem,” he said quickly.

She quickly replied, “Yes, I know. We have two weeks before my uncle launches an assault on this planet.”

“That is, that is very bad, granted, but this is, this is up there.” Winn seemed anxious so Kara tried to ease him. 

“Winn, I will deal with Ms. Grant. I know she’s upset with me, but she and I have been through a lot and-,” she tried to sound reassuring as they made their way toward Kara’s desk. She stopped herself. 

Across from her own desk was a new desk. She looked at the desk. “Why is there a desk here? And how do you pronounce that name?” Kara looked at the glass name plate. Siobhan Smythe. 

Then, she noticed Cat coming and immediately turned her attention to her boss. “Uh, good morning, Ms. Grant.”

“Kiera,” Cat said back, “Hmm, I see you’ve met Siobhan.” She grabbed a clipboard someone handed her, needing her signature as she talked. 

Kara quickly asked, “Who?”

And at that moment, a young woman walked up on them. She was holding a cup of coffee and also held out her hand with a smile, introducing herself, “Siobhan Smythe.”

Kara took the hand she offered, shaking it lightly. She looked between Cat and Siobhan with a confused look, not understanding what was happening. 

Then she looked at Cat and said, quietly, and not a little surprised, “You pronounced that name… correctly.” 

“Well, I could see that your job was becoming a strain,” Cat explained, “So I took it upon myself to hire another assistant to help you.” 

Kara involuntarily fake smiled and was about to say something when Cat looked to Siobhan and said, “Assistant number one,” then she looked a Kara with a scowl, “meet assistant number two.”

Kara raised her eye brows, shocked and stammered, “I’m, two?”

Not missing a beat, Siobhan held out the cup of coffee to Cat. “Here’s your coffee, Ms. Grant. I hand pressed it myself, using beans grown in the shade of guava trees on the slope of a mountain in Panama.”

She smiled at Cat, and Cat smiled back, looking impressed. 

Something began to well up in the pit of Kara’s stomach. She quickly stepped up and said, “Here’s your latte, Ms. Grant, from Noonan’s. Your favorite.” She held the cup out toward Cat. 

Cat looked at Siobhan and took the cup from her telling Siobhan, “Get Olsen and Lane into my office, I need someone to take notes.”

“I, I got it,” Kara said, making a move to follow as she walked toward her office. 

But Cat just said, over her shoulder, “You cover the phones, assistant number two. Assistant number one, come with me.”

Kara watched the young woman follow Cat into her office. Wait, what? What just happened, she thought to herself. A new assistant. Assistant number one? And she was two? Kara composed herself, trying to push the confusion away.

She sat down at her desk and Winn walked up, asking sarcastically, “How long do you think Cat’s new mini me will last?”

Kara shook her and said, “Not long,” though she was more trying to convince herself. “Cat is mad at me, so she hired someone else to teach me a lesson.” 

Kara tried blowing it off with, “I mean, the poor girl is a pawn, really. I kinda feel sorry for her.”

“Sure. Yeah,” Winn just said. He knew how important Kara’s relationship with Cat was to her. And he knew she wouldn’t let it go without a fight. So he knew she was mad about assistant number one. 

But Kara tried to keep up her front of not being bothered by Cat’s constant dismissals. “I do!” She said it more forcefully than necessary and followed it with, “So I’m going to give her a chance.”

Winn tried to comfort her. “That’s Supergirl’s line. It’s okay for Kara Danvers to be upset.”

Kara turned on the cover laugh. The one she did when she was trying to act calm. “I’m not upset.”

Winn smiled at her. “You just broke your phone.”

She looked down to see that she had been squeezing the phone so hard that she had broken it into pieces. She just looked at him and set it down, mentally reminding herself to quickly get a new one since, apparently her only task was now to manage the phones. 

She turned her head toward the office, looking through the window. She watched Siobhan. She was so irritated. No, it was more than that. She was jealous. She had just met the girl, but, oh, she hated her already. 

And Cat took the coffee she made instead of the latte Kara got for her. That almost made her the maddest. It was kind of the their thing. The lattes. Every morning, no matter what was happening in the news, or what was on the agenda, or what crisis Cat was carrying CatCo through, or even what crisis Kara was carrying Supergirl through, she always brought Cat her latte and Cat always took it. And their fingers always touched. And it always meant something. 

She turned away and tried to push her anger down. 

Soon, James and Lucy were there and walking into Cat’s office for the meeting. They stopped when they saw the new girl in the office. 

Lucy pointed and whispered, “Who’s that?”

Kara took a breath and just said, “Assistant number one.”

Lucy’s mouth fell open. But, it was a topic for another conversation. She and James made their way in. 

The meeting was short and James, Lucy, and Siobhan came filing out. They passed by Kara’s desk and went into the bullpen, each one going a separate way. 

But Kara kept her eyes on Cat as she sat down at her desk. 

Kara wasn’t the only one feeling the frustration. Inside her office, Cat was thinking back over the short meeting. She wasn’t sure about her new assistant. Out of the people she had interviewed, Siobhan seemed the most competent. But Cat didn’t like her. There was something conniving about her. 

During the meeting, Cat had been hopelessly searching for her glasses. She turned over throw pillows and moved objects around while she talked, trying to find them. Then Siobhan had held them up for her. She had a smug look on her face when Cat came up to her to take them. She didn’t like that look. It was like she was saying, ‘Look at me.’ If it had been Kara, she would have just smiled sweetly at Cat, always happy to be helpful. But Siobhan’s smugness almost made Cat think that the girl had hidden the glasses just so she could act like she found them. 

Cat sighed. She second guessed herself. Maybe another assistant wasn’t the best power play after all. But Kara had been so flustered when she had met Siobhan. Cat certainly hasn’t missed that. The coffee Siobhan made was awful and Cat missed her latte. But she would have to deal with it. There were several reasons Siobhan was here and Cat had to be confident that she had made the right move. 

She needed to distance herself from Kara. Things had become too confusing between them. But still, she missed her. 

She risked a glance up toward Kara’s desk. But when she lifted her eyes, she saw that Kara was already watching her. Their eyes locked. They watched each other. They stared at each other. It was the first time they had really looked at each other in many long days. Kara tried to pour all the longing she felt into her eyes so Cat would see it. And Kara swore that she saw the same longing on Cat’s face. Cat’s lips parted like she wanted to say something through the glass wall. 

But then Cat’s eyes darted away and she turned back to her laptop. The exchange had lasted less than five seconds, but it felt like an eternity. And it was enough to give Kara hope. She had seen it, even though Cat tried to hide it. She still cared. 

The rest of the day was horrible. Siobhan was trying to sabotage Kara at every turn. She pushed her buttons so Cat would see her angry and she made sure that Cat knew when she had had to run out for a super emergency. 

Meanwhile, Kara was trying to fight the Master Jailor. With Alex’s help, they had defeated him. He was strong. And smart. He was the toughest opponent Kara had faced. Thank goodness for Alex and the team. 

Alex was always in her corner. And, in the past, Alex had always been enough. But, for some reason, she just couldn’t talk to Alex lately. Not like she wanted to. More and more, Kara found that she wanted to share all the meaningful things with someone else. With Cat. 

The distance was suffocating. 

The next morning when Kara came in, Siobhan met her as she was coming off the elevator. She had that smug look again. “Kara. Just want you to know I did all your work for you while you were gone. I don’t think Cat even noticed a difference.”

That was it. She hated the way Siobhan said Cat’s name. Like they were best friends. Kara rarely said Cat’s first name and when she did, it was always with respect. 

She had had it. “You know what, I tried giving you the benefit of the doubt, I tried being nice, but I don’t like you.”

Siobhan let out a small laugh and turned to Kara, saying, “I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to be the next Cat Grant.”

Kara raised her eye brows. She couldn’t believe the gall. Kara laughed back a little. “Oh?”

“I say, four months at this desk, tops, before I’m a junior reporter. Get some on air experience, make a name for myself. Once everyone knows me, I’ll build my brand, diversity. In ten years people will be drying their hands using towels from my luxury home collection. And you,” she gave Kara a dismissive shrug, “you’ll be booking my massage appointments.”

Kara just looked at her. Siobhan had no idea what she was talking about. She had no idea what it took to be Cat Grant. Kara was the one that knew. All the sacrifice, all the hours, all the sleepless nights, the loneliness, all the missed holidays. Always having to keep your guard up. Be smarter, faster, prettier, wealthier. Kara was the one who saw what a toll it took on Cat. 

But Kara also knew that Cat did it because she believed in CatCo’s mission. She believed in the truth and she believed in good. No, Siobhan would never be the next Cat Grant. Because she was in it for herself. 

There was no way this woman was going to steal her Cat away. She just wasn’t good enough for her. 

Kara lifted her chin and lowered her voice. “We’ll see which one of us gets to stay.”

Siobhan just looked at her. Kara was boiling inside, but she maintained control. 

The day went on. And on. And on. Siobhan’s presence made everything drag out. Finally, the end of the work day came. Siobhan had left. Cat was still in her office. Kara was still at her desk. She always tried to stay until Cat left in case she needed her. A new assistant wasn’t going to change that.

Cat looked up at Kara and watched her, working diligently. She rarely doubted herself, but she found herself asking what the hell she was thinking with Siobhan. She was Kara’s complete opposite. Arrogant to Kara’s humbleness, smug to Kara’s helpfulness, selfish to Kara’s giving nature. Dark hair to Kara’s blond, olive skin to Kara’s creamy complexion, dark eyes to Kara’s deep blue…

Cat shook herself. She needed to stop. See, this, this was one of the reasons Siobhan was here. Because Cat wasn’t attracted to her like she was to Kara. She didn’t have to check herself with Siobhan. 

As Cat watched, the night courier came up to Kara’s desk with the usual envelopes. Kara signed for them and began to open each one before taking them in to Cat’s office. Cat tried to appear busy when Kara walked in with the envelopes. 

“The night courier just came, Ms. Grant.” Kara left the letters on the coffee table and said, “I’ll just leave these here.” Cat didn’t say anything so Kara turned to leave. 

But she just couldn’t take it. These last couple days with a new assistant were just too much. Kara felt that if the burned bridge didn’t get repaired now, they would miss their chance. 

She turned back to Cat and started the only way she knew how to so that Cat wouldn’t shut her down. 

“My aunt died,” Kara started. She had been wanting so much to tell Cat about Astra. Then Cat looked back to her. She slipped off her glasses. Kara’s face was sad. She didn’t stop her, so Kara kept going.

“I know you want things between us to be strictly professional and I want to respect that.” Kara hesitated. But she couldn’t stop now. “My sister is the only one that I ever really talk to about things. Like, really talk to. But I can’t talk to her about this. It’s too hard for some reason.”

Cat’s expression was beginning to soften as Kara talked. “We weren’t very close, my aunt and me, but we had been working on it.” Kara tried to keep her voice steady as emotion began to overcome her. She knew if she cried, Cat might pull back again. Kara didn’t want to push. “But she was my mom’s sister. She was like my last link to her.” 

Kara met Cat’s eyes. They looked at each other again. Like they had the day before. So much to say, but no words. After a moment, Kara finished with, “Um, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to, to manipulate you or anything like that. I’ve just wanted to tell you for days.” She looked at the floor, suddenly embarrassed. “I’m not sure why. Anyhow, um, I’m sorry.” She looked apologetic. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ms. Grant.”

She quickly turned to leave when she heard, “I’m sorry.”

She stopped and turned back. Cat’s eyes were soft. It was the look she had gotten accustomed to. Before Adam. The look that was getting softer each time she saw it. Another few seconds passed, then Cat just said, “I’m sorry about your aunt.” 

Kara nodded. Then she turned again and left. 

It wasn’t much. But it was enough.


	15. Solitude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't take it anymore, I had to fix them!!
> 
> Mostly true to canon. The last scene is altered so that Cat stays for a while, instead of going straight home to Carter.
> 
> Let's just go ahead and say that, from now on, these will all assume that Cat knows Kara is Supergirl :-)

Kara walked into work that morning with her thoughts wandering. Minutes after she stepped off the elevator she was greeted by her new nemesis. It wasn’t a Fort Roz escapee. It wasn’t an evil uncle, hell bent on destroying her planet. It wasn’t even Maxwell Lord. 

It was Siobhan. She walked up to where Winn and Kara were standing. Kara and Siobhan had already thrown down the gauntlet so neither one of them bothered keeping pretenses anymore. They didn’t like each other. And they didn’t care that they didn’t like each other. 

“Morning, Siobhan,” Kara said to her, curtly. 

Just as fake, Siobhan said back, “Morning, Cara.”

Kara knew Siobhan knew her name. The on-purpose mistake irritated her. It was one thing when Cat did it. Cat had reasons that Kara knew were valid, sort of. Siobhan was just pushing her buttons. And she was getting good at it. 

“It’s Kara,” Kara uselessly corrected her. 

Winn jumped in. “How, how’s it going, Siobhan?” That was Winn, trying to be the diplomat. Not to mention, it was pretty obvious that he was attracted to her. 

But she just said, rudely, with a fake smile, “I’m sorry, I have problems making conversation with men under six feet tall.”

Kara noticed that she had an envelope and, while Winn tended to his wounds, Kara asked, “Is that for Ms. Grant?”

“For her eyes only,” Siobhan said. 

As much as Kara couldn’t stand assistant number one, she was always attuned to Cat’s needs. Cat had a lot of quirks and one was having her mail opened for her at work. She said it was because she was concerned it could be anthrax or some other bio agent. But, really, it was a power play. Kara knew that. Cat knew there was no anthrax coming her way. But Kara knew that Cat liked to make a show of certain things. Kara thought it was kind of endearing. 

She wanted Cat to be taken care of and if she wouldn’t let Kara do it, Kara could at least make sure it still got done. 

So she told Siobhan, “Ms. Grant likes for everything to be opened before it reaches her desk.”

But Siobhan couldn’t care less. “I just spent the last ninety minutes in the mail room letting a glorified postal worker stare at my chest so that I could be the one to give this to Cat. And I’ll take the credit.” 

Kara still hated it when she called Cat by her first name. It just sounded wrong. 

Just then, the private elevator dinged and Cat walked out. Sunglasses on, confident, and not skipping a beat. Of course. Something always fluttered in Kara when she walked in like that. 

“Tweedle Dee, staff meeting. Everyone in my office, STAT with a side of ASAP.” Cat stalked by them. 

Kara just stared after her while Siobhan sarcastically whispered, “Guess that makes you Tweedle Dumb.”

Kara turned back to Winn. She just smiled at him. Nodding her head, she said, “I could throw her into space. I dream about doing that.”

As everyone filtered into the office, Cat was saying, “My massage therapist spent the whole session talking about how her surrogate has Celiac’s disease, and my Pilates instructor just informed me that he’s quitting to open up an artisanal yarn store in Vermont, so which one of you hearty souls is going to give me a reason to go on living?” She slipped off her sunglasses and glanced around the room. 

“You?” She looked to one of her department heads. 

He stepped forward and said, “The National City men’s chorus is organizing a Lego drive-,”

“And I’m comatose. Fashion. Speak.”

Kelly stepped up. “We’re seeing crushed velvet as an important look this fall.” 

At least she was able to get her whole sentence out before Cat said, with a pained look on her face, “Oh, try crushed dreams. Anyone else?”

Siobhan stepped forward, proudly, holding the unopened envelope. “Ms. Grant, this came for you, private courier. I’ve been keeping it safe from prying eyes.” She held it out toward Cat.

But Cat, with a hand on her hip, just looked at her with her eyes narrowed a little. She lowered her voice and asked, “Why didn’t you open it? It could be anthrax.”

James put his cup of coffee down and walked up to Siobhan, taking the envelope from her and opening it while she stammered, “Well, I, it.”

“It’s not anthrax,” James said. “Thumb drive.” He handed it to Cat and she took it. “And a letter.” He handed it to her as well. 

She read it aloud. “Make the liars pay for their lies. Make the cheaters feel the pain of their betrayal.”

Lucy spoke up. “That’s a website for adulterers. Diamond Indiscretions.”

“It’s like Ashley Madison,” James finished. “Except the difference is that this is supposed to be unhackable.” He pointed to the thumb drive. 

“It was attacked by an anonymous hacker last night,” Lucy went on. “None of the data they took has been released.”

Then Cat broke in. “Because the hacker wanted it reported by a major media outlet, so they sent it to me. You,” she tossed the drive to Siobhan, “brown hair. Put it in the microwave and set to popcorn. Actually, set it to baked potato. Oh, whichever. Just melt it.” 

But Lucy said, “Cat, that website caters to powerful people. Elected officials, public figures, espousing morality that they, themselves, ignore. They’re hypocrites, liars. The public deserves to know the truth.”

“Oh, Lucy,” Cat took a breath. “We live in a brave new world of gay marriage and transgender republicans. No one bats an eye at that stuff anymore. Also, I’ve been on the other side of this and if we publish this, we give those disgusting bottom feeders legitimacy. And therefore, Major Lane, the terrorists will have won.”

With that, the meeting was clearly over. Cat was a little irritated. No one around her had good ideas. She was surrounded by incompetency. Even Lucy didn’t get it. And Siobhan. She was clearly trying to win favor with Cat. It frustrated her. She didn’t like it when people were so obviously self serving. 

She used to not mind it, but then Kara came along and showed her what it means to serve selflessly. Kara always wanted to please her, not because it was her job, but because she cared. That was just Kara. And Kara carried those best parts of herself with her when she wore the cape. 

Cat took a quick glance out toward Kara’s desk. She was on the phone and typing at the same time. Always working as hard as she could. But that was the problem. Kara was always working as hard as she could at everything. Including being Supergirl. It was obvious that something had to give for Kara. 

Hiring another assistant was supposed to help with that. But it turned out that it was only further driving the wedge that had come between them after Adam. 

Cat sighed. She missed Kara. But it had so long since they really talked that Cat was beginning to think that the damage may be irreparable. This wasn’t what she had intended. 

She took a sip of the coffee on her desk and made a face. She also missed her lattes. This French pressed crap that Siobhan kept bringing her was awful. 

The day went on as usual until it was almost time to leave. James, Lucy, and Kara were talking at Kara’s desk. Cat was in her office. Everyone was busy finishing up end of the day tasks. 

Then, suddenly, some kind of power surge went through all the televisions on the floor. From Cat’s office and throughout the bullpen. Something had taken them over. A woman appeared on the screens. Cat looked at her, surprised. What the hell, she thought. 

“Greetings, CatCo employees,” the woman said, “I’m disappointed in all of you.”

Cat slowly walked from her office to the bullpen to join the others as they listened. 

The blond woman spoke to Cat directly. “Especially you, Queen of All Media.”

Unphased as always, Cat said, “I suppose you’re the hacker that sent the drive this morning. Hmm. What do they call you? The peroxide avenger?” 

Kara watched her, impressed. You couldn’t intimidate Cat Grant. 

The woman went on. “I handed you the story of the year. How sinners have turned the internet into a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Cat was confused. She looked to Kara, hoping Supergirl recognized the woman. Kara just shook her head, also confused. 

“But you failed to act. So now, all will suffer. Computers control everything. Communications, banking, even traffic signals.” Then, with a ruthless expression, she finished, “the age of chaos begins now. Enjoy.”

The screens went black. After snapping at Winn to fix it, Cat went back to work in her office. And Kara quickly stole away to do a short patrol. If this woman followed through on such a broad threat, Supergirl would be needed. 

The next day, after all hell had broken loose in National City, Cat called another meeting. Well, actually she just walked through the bullpen and said, “Relevant people. In my office.”

Kara most definitely noticed that Cat hadn’t explicitly told her not to follow, which is what she had been doing. She hesitated, not sure if Cat meant it the way she took it. But she risked it anyway and filed into the office. 

“National City’s entire mainframe had been breached by a cyber terrorist and no one knows why they’re doing it, or who, or when they will strike again.”

Lucy spoke up. “I’ve spoken to my contacts at the Pentagon. Military intelligence is all over this.”

But Cat didn’t care about the Pentagon. It was all the way across the country. “This is about National City. Our home is under attack and we have no idea how this is going to end.” She looked to James. “James Olsen.”

He responded quickly, “Yes ma'am.”

“First, never call me ma'am. This is not the old west. And second, circle the wagons. We are going to put every investigative team we have on this. Freelancers, too. We identify the hacker. We end this.”

Then she looked at Siobhan. “And you. Get my investment broker on the phone.”

Kara was secretly glad that Cat never called Siobhan by her name either. She actually hadn’t even bothered to give Siobhan a wrong name. The only time Kara had heard her say her name was that first day. And Kara knew Cat was only trying to make her jealous. And it worked. 

Siobhan stuttered, “I, I,” of course, Siobhan didn’t know who that was. 

Kara let her have a chance, but then she jumped in, “I’ll get him right away, Ms. Grant.” 

Finally, Kara thought. 

Siobhan just looked at Cat. She knew right then that she’d missed her chance to impress the media mogul.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Things were finally starting to feel like normal again. Kara had taken down the missile with Alex’s help. And Hank’s. It wasn’t complete reconciliation, but they had been able to work together again. It was a good start. And Winn and James had helped stop Indigo. The supersquad was saving the day. It felt great and it made Kara happy. 

But now, she was back in the office. The adrenaline rush from taking down the missile was beginning to wear off and Kara could only think of one more thing that would make her happy. 

The day was ending. Cat was preparing to leave. Siobhan was already gone. She never stayed as long as Kara. For all the times Kara had to run out during the day, she always stayed until Cat left. 

She watched as Cat stood in the middle of her office, listening to a news report about the bright light over National City earlier that day. James was with her. 

Kara listened in and heard Cat say, “That wasn’t a rocket, was it?”

James just said, “No.” He knew there was no point in trying to lie to Cat. She was the smartest person any of them knew. 

“How close did we come today?”

“Too close. But we’re lucky to have Supergirl.” Cat just nodded a little in agreement. 

Kara walked in to see if she could help Cat with anything before she left. She cleared her throat to announce her presence as she entered. Cat immediately looked down for a moment. Kara’s presence always threw her off balance lately. Probably because she was having withdrawals. 

“Kiera, cancel my dinner plans,” she put her purse back down on the desk and said quietly, “I need a drink, and then I’m going home to hug my son and cook him chicken.”

“Yes, Ms. Grant.” She and James left the office as Cat walked over to pour herself a drink. 

When they were back at Kara’s desk, James told her, “You did a great job today.”

Kara smiled. “You and Winn too.”

They said their goodbyes and James left. Kara sat back down at her desk. She didn’t mind staying. She had some things to catch up on anyway. 

We watched Cat sit down on the sofa and slip off her high heels. She closed her eyes and rubbed the back of her neck for a minute. Kara could see how exhausted she was. Then she picked up her drink and slowly walked outside, onto the balcony. 

Kara fought the urge to follow her and turned back to her computer. 

Outside, Cat took a deep breath and tried to relax. ‘We’re lucky to have Supergirl.’ Indeed, Cat thought. It certainly wasn’t lost on her that Kara had left the office and returned during the same time as the missile crisis. It never was. 

But here Kara was. Still staying late to catch up on work. Even with another assistant. But Cat was beginning to understand that a second assistant wasn’t going to help make Kara’s job easier so she could be Supergirl. Because the simple fact was that no one but Kara could do Kara’s job. 

Cat had driven off every other assistant she had ever had before they really learned how to assist her well. Kara was the first person who had put the long effort into learning Cat. It had taken her much time and the prospect of having to wait on another person to catch up was exhausting in itself. 

She closed her eyes tighter as she contemplated it. Maybe the answer was to give Kara space. Maybe if she were free to come and go as she needed on her own terms without having to worry about taking care of her, things would be easier on both of them. 

Then Cat shook her head and opened her eyes. No. She didn’t want to do that. She wanted Kara beside her.

Inside, Kara couldn’t focus. She kept glancing into the office at the balcony door. Things between her and Cat felt like they were beginning to mend. Very slowly. Achingly slow. Maybe a time like this was her best bet. When it was just the two of them, like it used to be. 

She stood and decided it was worth the risk. She made her way across the office and stopped at the door that led outside. Cat was there. She had set her drink on the table and she was leaning against the edge of the balcony with her elbows propped up on it. Her hair was blowing a little in the breeze and she was barefoot. Kara smiled a little. 

On the balcony, Cat was trying to quiet her mind. She looked out over the city. It was getting dark. She wondered if Kara was still there. Maybe she should go talk to her. Maybe this was the best time, when it was just the two of them. 

But then she heard the balcony door open and close. She didn’t move. She knew it could only be one person, so she waited. 

She listened and heard Kara’s feet slowly come over to stand behind her. After a moment of hesitation, she felt small hands come to settle at her waist. Cat held her breath as a shutter went through her at the touch. After another moment and seeing that Cat wasn’t resisting her, Kara stepped closer until her front was touching Cat’s back. 

Cat didn’t react for several seconds. She felt so unsure. There was a deep well of affection for Kara that she had pushed down and every time they touched it threatened to break open. And now, after pushing it down for so long, she didn’t know if she could do it any longer. 

She released her breath and allowed herself to lean back into Kara. Kara’s eyes slipped closed with relief and she brought her hands around to encircle Cat, pulling her into herself. 

Cat let her hands come down from the balcony’s edge and rest on top of Kara’s. They stayed there for a bit, neither of them saying anything. They just needed the contact. 

Then Kara dipped her head forward until her cheek was against Cat’s temple. She whispered in her ear, so quietly, “Please, stop pushing me away.” 

Cat closed her eyes a little tighter again. Kara’s tone echoed the need she was feeling. The need to be connected with one another. They were attracted to each other, yes. But there was so much more between them. They made each other better people. They needed each other. 

Cat slowly turned in her arms and let her head rest on Kara’s shoulder with her hands on Kara’s hips. When she wore heels and Kara wore flats, they were almost the same height. But when she was barefoot and Kara was a few inches taller, they fit so perfectly together. 

Cat took a deep breath and exhaled, relaxing into Kara. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t think this would be so hard for either one of us.”

Kara was still talking quietly when she asked, “I don’t understand what happened, Ms. Grant.”

“You can call me Cat, you know,” Cat said, not moving from her comfy position. She felt Kara’s lips smile against her forehead and asked, “What?”

“You can call me Kara, you know.” Then Cat smiled and felt Kara press a gentle kiss against her forehead. 

Cat waited a moment and told her, “I didn’t know what to do after Adam. I was so jealous of the two of you.”

“Cat, you’re the one that told us to go out.” Kara stayed quiet, afraid that if she changed her soft tone that Cat would pull away from the embrace and, right now, this contact was rejuvenating Kara’s very soul. 

But Cat didn’t move. She needed this, too. “I know. I didn’t want to hurt him again.” She paused and then added, “But I ended up hurting you instead.”

Kara quickly answered, “I’m okay, if we’re okay.”

Cat kept her eyes closed and wrapped her arms fully around Kara, pulling her as close as she could. Kara smiled and did the same. 

After another minute, Kara whispered to her again, “Why didn’t you publish the names that were on that thumb drive?”

Cat sighed against Kara’s chest. “It didn’t seem like the right thing.”

Kara waited for a second and then told her, “A year ago, you wouldn’t have hesitated to release that list.”

“Hmm,” Cat hummed. She knew Kara was right.

“I’m so proud of you, Cat. I know changing is hard.” 

Cat’s heart swelled at the compliment. “Thank you.” Then she made a decision. It was time. “I’m proud of you every day. The way you defend this city. Everything you’ve done for me. Change hasn’t been easy for you either,” She paused and finished with, “Supergirl.”

Kara immediately stiffened in her arms. Cat shut her eyes tight, willing Kara to stay put. She allowed the younger woman time to process the revelation. She had already confronted her once, but she had refused to admit to it. She had let Kara think she fooled her. But if they had any chance at a relationship, this would have to be in the open. 

Slowly, she began to relax back into Cat’s embrace. She kissed her forehead again and rubbed circles on her back. They began to sway back and forth a little until Kara finally asked, “When did you know? I mean, when did you first know?”

Cat smiled as she recalled the memory. “The night you kidnapped me in my car and left me stranded on the bluff.”

Kara laughed a little. “Really? The first time you ever spoke to me as Supergirl and you knew? I’ve fooled people that see me every day for months now. I should have known I couldn’t fool you.”

Cat was still smiling. Finally, she pulled back and looked at Kara. She was so beautiful. With those eyes that always drew her in. She wanted her. She wanted to be with Kara. 

After a second, Cat put her hands on Kara’s face. “Let me fix this. Let me talk to Adam, and then let me fix this mess I made with Siobhan.”

Kara just nodded. Then she quietly said, “Come here,” and she pulled Cat back into her. They stayed like that on the balcony, holding each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to note that this is the episode when Alex confesses that she killed Astra. I love Chyler so much and she acted the hell out of Alex Danvers this season. I wish there was more room for more Alex in this work. 
> 
> P.S. Writing Cat and Kara in the office is getting a bit tiresome, so I might think of a way to get them out of CatCo.
> 
> P.S.S. Supercat really picks up after this. I can't wait!


	16. Fallen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG!! There was sooo much Supercat in this episode. I couldn't fit it all in!
> 
> There are a few added things peppered throughout this chapter. 
> 
> Also, I messed with the timeline a bit. There was a day between when Kara was cured and when she came to talk to Cat on the balcony. But, nothing really happened, so I wrote it as Kara going to Cat that same night. I loved the idea of Cat being the first person she wanted to see.

Everyone in the bullpen had their eyes glued to the television. Cat had that effect on people. The confidence she exuded had a way of washing onto others. She made people feel like they were a part of whatever she was a part of. So, naturally, when she was the primary guest on The Talk, basically all work stopped as everyone watched their boss and mentor on the screen, every bit as invested in the interview as she was. 

“Supergirl is everything you think she is,” Cat was saying, for the world to hear, “She’s strong, she’s brave, but the most remarkable thing about Supergirl is that she is the kindest person I have ever known.” 

Kara couldn’t stop smiling as she watched Cat talk. So sure of her words. The way she talked or wrote about Supergirl, sometimes she thought that Cat had to know who she was. 

“She is an idea, and she is inspiring us to be our best selves. We can learn a lot from her. You can learn a lot from her. I have learned a lot from her.”

As the interview went on, she heard a most familiar voice behind her say, “Enraptured, are we?”

She turned quickly, and there she was. “Oh, Ms. Grant.”

“I was really quite fabulous,” Cat said as she watched herself on the television. 

Kara’s smile stayed in place as she listened to Cat talk. She could listen to her all day. She was so grateful their relationship had mended. Things were quickly getting back to normal between them. And then some. 

Over the last week or so, they talked more. Cat had begun to open up to her again. She had even invited her to eat lunch with her on the balcony a couple days ago, like she used to. They hadn’t talked. Just the company was enough. 

She tilted her head a little at Cat’s light tone. “God knows I hate a generic sports metaphor, but that interview was a touchdown, a home run. Whatever you call it when you do something good in hockey.”

Kara laughed a little and said, “It was a wonderful interview, Ms. Grant.” Cat chewed on the arm of her sunglasses and smiled back at Kara. She tilted her head toward her office, silently asking Kara to follow her. 

They walked elbow to elbow across the bullpen together. Cat asked her, “Did you confirm my lunch plans?”

“I did,” Kara answered quickly. Cat had begun coming to Kara with everything she needed assisting with again. It seemed that handling the phones had fallen to Siobhan. 

“And did you get-,” Cat began. 

“I got the table in the corner farthest from the kitchen with the view of the water. I put everyone’s lunch order in already so your food should be ready when you get there.”

“Oh, excellent.” Cat was glad to have her real assistant number one back. She had missed Kara’s predictable competency. She never missed a beat and she always thought ahead. 

Kara knew Cat hated these lunches with the board of directors. She always made sure they had a great view to keep the mood light and she always wanted their food ready as soon as possible so she didn’t have to be there any longer than she needed to be. At this point, she didn’t even have to ask, Kara just made sure it happened. 

Kara was about to leave the office when she turned back, “Ms. Grant?”

“Hmm,” Cat hummed and looked back to her, waiting. 

Kara couldn’t help but notice the soft look on her face. She was smiling at Kara just a little. The sunlight was coming through the windows and catching the light color of her hair. She looked radiant. 

Kara blinked a few times to ground herself. “Did, um,” she stammered a bit, “did you mean all those things you said about Supergirl?” 

Cat glanced away for just a second, trying to keep her smile from getting any bigger. When she turned back, she just said, “Yes. Every word.” She looked pointedly at Kara and it was one of those times that Kara swore she knew. 

But she just smiled and nodded. Taking a breath, she went back to her own desk. 

Later that evening, there was a five alarm fire and Supergirl rushed to help. When she got there, the fire was under control, but on the roof of the building, the firefighters were struggling to free one of their own from the burning debris. He was pinned. 

When she touched down, the firefighter in charge called to her, “Supergirl! Over here!” She rushed over as he said, “My men have the fire.” Then she saw the pinned firefighter. 

“It’s okay,” she reassured him, “I’ve got you.” Kara easily picked up the metal beam pinning him down. They pulled him out. He was free. 

“You’re gonna be okay,” she told him. 

The chief looked up at her. “Thank you.”

She gave a nod and smile and went to leave. Walking across the roof of the building, Kara felt something strange. It stopped her in her tracks. She felt woozy, dizzy, like she might fall over. 

A sick feeling went through her and she suddenly felt like she was outside herself somehow. She shut her eyes to regain her footing. When she opened them, all she saw was a red haze. Everything was blurry.

Then, the blur went away. The red faded, and everything seemed normal. She took off and headed for home.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

The next morning, Kara felt different. Really different. She couldn’t quite get a handle on herself. Everything seemed off. 

She stood next to her bed, brushing her teeth and surveying the clothes she had laid out for work. She narrowed her eyes. She wanted to wear something else. Something more. 

Kara went to her closet and pushed everything aside to reveal what she called the dark corner of the closet. It was where she kept all the things Alex forced her to buy that she would never wear. She flipped through them. There weren’t very many. 

Then a mischievous grin played across her face as she pulled a dress out. Black, pink and green accents, and it was small, and tight. She looked at herself in the mirror as she held it in front of her. Then she slipped into it.

Damn, she looked good. Her first thought was that Cat would be impressed. Out of nowhere, an image of her pushing Cat against her desk flashed through her mind. Kara furrowed her eye brows. What the hell was that? She pushed the image aside and tended to her hair. 

Another image flashed in front of her eyes of her mouth on Cat’s neck. She tried to shake the image from her mind, but it wouldn’t go away. Before she could control herself, an entire fantasy was playing out in her head.

“Mmm,” she groaned through her closed lips as she closed her eyes and imagined Cat’s lips all over her. Everywhere. She was usually better at controlling these sexual images of Cat that randomly popped into her mind. But today was different. She didn't want to control it.

Kara’s eyes snapped open. She was breathing hard as she looked at herself in the mirror. An evil grin came to her lips. Oh yes, she was going to give Cat Grant a run for her money today. 

She walked off the elevator with a sway in her hips that made everyone take notice. James' mouth fell open as she walked passed him. As did Winn's. As did most everyone’s. Even Siobhan took notice. 

“Morning,” Kara said, nonchalantly. She noticed that everyone was looking at her. Of course they were. She said, “What? I was getting tired of my old clothes.”

Siobhan tried to play off her intimidation with a quip. “Yeah, we all were.”

Just then Cat walked up and casually said, “Kiera, look at you, dressed like an adult. That’s promising.” Then she turned to Siobhan and coldly said, “So, I demanded a list of replacements for Lucy Lane, like yesterday.”

She looked back to Kara as Siobhan quickly tried to put away the makeup she had been putting on. “Yes, Ms. Grant.” But she wasn’t quick enough. 

Kara held up a piece of paper. “Ah, here you are.” She smiled smugly and said, “I already checked all their references and ranked them according to who you’ll find least annoying.”

“Oh,” Cat said. She wasn’t the least bit surprised that Kara had done such a thorough job. “Any Republicans?”

“Two reformed,” Kara confirmed. God, Cat looked amazing today. Behind her, Kara saw Siobhan fiddling with her own rejected list. Kara felt a twinge of happiness at the girl’s dejected look. 

Cat went through her mail and said to Kara, “Oh, look, a reward. Someone gifted me tickets to Club Apocalypse for Friday night to see a Scandinavian DJ, whose name I won’t even try to pronounce.”

Kara smiled widely, adjusting her glasses, as she took the envelope from Cat, who turned and glared at Siobhan on her way to the office. 

Siobhan crumpled up her own list and threw it in the trash. “Do you even know how to dance?” Her voice was dripping with judgement, as always. 

Kara hated her. But in this moment, she just reveled in her victory. “Don’t be jealous.” But then she amended, “Or do, I don’t really care.”

Kara felt like she was on fire. She felt energized in a way she had never felt. Powerful. Confident. Hot. All the things she had ever wanted to feel. All the emotions that she pushed down and kept in check were coming to the surface and it felt so good. Pride. Arrogance. Selfishness. She sat down at her computer, the rueful grin still in place. 

Inside her office, Cat whispered under her breath, “What the hell?” She was watching Kara. At least, she thought it was Kara. She wasn’t sure. This was certainly a different side of Kara. 

Her eyes raked over her as she stood to walk over to the copier. Cat’s lips parted as she watched her move. She was beautiful. No, she was exquisite. Cat tilted her head, taking in the curve of Kara’s hips and absolutely perfect way that dress looked over her breasts. 

Shit, Cat thought. She cleared her throat and averted her eyes. Time to focus. But she kept glancing back up. She could get used to this new side of Kara. 

Later that night, Supergirl was called upon to fight a Fort Roz escapee that the DEO had been tracking. Upon finding him, they fought. Supergirl quickly got the upper hand. 

But then, she did something that went against every instinct she had. She let him go. As he rushed away from her, frightened, she looked after him, confused. What had she just done? She wasn’t sure. Then, suddenly, she cringed as she felt that surge of power again.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

The next day didn’t go so well. Kara was feeling even more empowered than she had the day before. After her tirade against Hank the night before at the DEO, she decided it was time for a few changes. 

No more letting people tell her what to do. Things were going to start going her way. Supergirl or Kara Danvers. Either way, she’d had enough. 

In CatCo’s lobby, she strode over to the private elevator and punched in the access code. She was the one who called maintenance whenever Cat wanted to change the code so, of course, she knew it. 

Something inside of her hesitated as she was about to cross the threshold. Wait, this wasn’t right. She closed her eyes, with a menacing look. No, this was definitely right. When she opened her eyes, the familiar red haze was all she could see. After a second, it went away and her vision came into focus. She stepped into the elevator.

She rode up the fast elevator in anticipation. She couldn’t wait to cause a stir. Cat was always so pompous. It was time for someone to put her in her place. 

She was wearing another tight fitting outfit, not just because of how hot she looked in it, but because she has seen how it had thrown Cat off balance the day before. She had traded her lead lined glasses for a pair of sunglasses. Internally, the only way she knew how to be intimidating was what she had learned from watching Cat. 

She stepped off the elevator to the same looks as the day before, but this time Winn rushed up to her. “Wha, how did you?” He whispered, “That’s Cat’s elevator!”

“It is absolutely ridiculous for her to have her own personal elevator. Plus, horrible for the environment.”

Then they heard an emphatic, “Kiera!”

Winn, still whispering said, “You are literally impervious to bullets and I am worried for your safety right now.”

He immediately backed off as Cat came walking up, slowly and with narrowed eyes. She held Kara’s gaze and lowered her voice, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

She expected Kara to back down. Anytime Cat used this tone of voice, Kara started to bumble around. But to her surprise, Kara tried to calmly present a logical reason for using her private elevator. 

“Your latte, Ms. Grant,” Kara handed her the cup. “Walking from the main elevator takes an extra ninety seconds, which means your latte is ninety seconds colder.”

She had her hands on her hips. Another thing she had learned from Cat. If you want to look powerful, put your hands on your hips. At least, it always worked for Cat. 

Cat waited a second, her expression not changing. “Brazen. That’s a new color on you. I don’t mind it.” She looked her up and down. Then she warned her, “Yet.”

She had seen Siobhan slip up beside them. The dark haired girl’s presence annoyed her more and more. Without turning her head, Cat darted her eyes in Siobhan’s direction and coldly asked, “What do you want?” 

Cat looked back to Kara as Siobhan said, enthusiastically, “I have a scoop for you. Can we talk?” She threw a disapproving glance Kara’s way. “In private.”

Cat rolled her eyes. “Alright.” She led them into her office. But her mind was still with Kara. Something was up. Something that caused Cat to feel concerned. She was acting different. Cat couldn’t remember the last time Kara purposely did something that she knew Cat wouldn’t like. Come to think of it, she had never purposely done something Cat wouldn’t like. And not just anything. The elevator. Kara knew full well that the elevator was part of Cat’s image. And Kara also knew that her image was one of Cat’s most powerful weapons. Why would Kara compromise that?

She sat down behind her desk as Siobhan handed her a tablet. She slipped on her glasses to look at the video. It was Supergirl. And an alien. 

“What am I looking at?”

“It’s Supergirl,” Siobhan told her, “letting the bad guy go.” 

Cat looked away. She closed the flap on the tablet and handed it back to Siobhan. She told her, “Put this under your hat until we figure out what’s going on.”

Cat tried to think and grew irritated when Siobhan kept talking. “What’s going on is that Supergirl isn’t the hero she claims to be.”

Cat shot back, unwavering in her support of Supergirl. “There must be an explanation. Maybe it’s another Bizarro.”

“Who cares,” Siobhan said. “Supergirl goes bad and we’re the first to report it? We could change the conversation, we could dominate the headlines-,” but Cat cut her off. 

“Don’t use media jargon you don’t understand.” She said it casually as she went back to work. When Siobhan tried to speak again, Cat stopped her with, “That’ll be all.” Then she looked at her sharply. And Siobhan quickly walked out of the room. 

They didn’t know that Kara had been listening in. She gave Siobhan a smug look as she passed by her desk. Then Kara looked into Cat’s office for a second. No matter what, Cat always supported Supergirl. 

Kara breathed in sharply as an urge to give Cat a sweet smile went through her. Suddenly, everything in her wanted to rush into the office and pull Cat into her arms and hold her. Her eyes softened as she looked at Cat through the glass. But the woman was still working and didn’t see her watching. She tried to make herself scream to her, but nothing came out of her mouth. 

Then she saw the red haze again. She dipped her head down and took a deep breath in, calming herself. When she looked back up the haze was gone and everything was clear again. Then Kara thought to herself that one day, Cat’s unshakable belief in Supergirl would be her undoing. 

Then she eyed Siobhan. Time to get rid of the competition. 

Inside the office, Cat was trying to make sense of it. Now she knew something was wrong. Supergirl letting the bad guy get away. Kara acting so out of sorts. What was going on? Was she simply dealing with some emotional issues, or had something happened to her? This certainly wasn’t the Kara she had come to care for. This Kara reminded her of… her, ten years ago. Before Carter changed her. Back when everything was about her. The conniving attitude. The arrogance. This wasn’t her Kara. 

But as much as Kara went through, Cat had never seen if affect Supergirl. This was serious. 

Only a short time later, the object of her thoughts came into the office, the cocky smile still in place. Cat just narrowed her eyes again, appraising her. Kara just confidently walked up to the desk and put a piece of paper in front of Cat. 

Cat’s wariness changed to curiosity. She picked up the paper. Her lips parted as she began to read. It was an email. From Siobhan to Perry White. She saw that Siobhan had attached the video, intending to send it to him in exchange for a job. 

She slowly shook her head. Any doubt of Siobhan being a huge mistake vanished and was replaced with certainty that she was, in fact, a huge mistake. She looked up at Kara, who just raised one eyebrow at her. 

Cat simply said, “Thanks,” to which Kara gave a nod. Then Cat slowly walked around the desk to stand in front of her, her eyes never leaving Kara’s. She let her eyes roam over Kara’s face, taking in the new hardness of her features. She looked like a different person. Even her eyes were different. 

Cat quietly asked, “What’s going on with you?”

Then she saw it. Kara’s demeanor faltered. Just for second. She watched as Kara took a deep breath and put the mask back in place. She just responded, “I feel good, that’s all.” Her expression didn’t change. 

With a slow nod, Cat had a thought. Maybe she would get somewhere if she talked to Supergirl instead. But, for now, she needed to deal with Siobhan. 

She called Siobhan into her office. Despite what people thought, she didn’t enjoy this part of the job. Siobhan came in, casually, as always. Cat had the email that Kara had printed in her hand and she handed it to Siobhan. 

“I know you see yourself as a plucky heroine who broke a story as big as Watergate and then gave it to my biggest competitor,” Cat sat down calmly at her desk and spoke evenly. She saw Siobhan brace herself as she realized what this was about. 

She went on, “and I know that you think once the Daily Planet runs the story that you will have a fancy job there, and I know that you believe in the end that I will admire your gumption for scooping me and I will ask you to come back.”

Siobhan confidently said, “Won’t you?”

“No,” Cat said, simply, shaking her head. “I admire loyalty, integrity, and employees that I can trust. Not back stabbing, opportunistic little imps.” She drew out the last word, wanting Siobhan to understand how angry she was. 

Then she finished, quietly with, “Clean out your desk.”

But Siobhan just sat there, stunned. Cat looked back up at her. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, feigning care, “was I using my inside voice?” Cat followed, loud enough for everyone in the bullpen to hear, with, “You are fired!”

Siobhan looked out into the bullpen, embarrassed. But Cat charged on, “Now before you go skipping all the way back to Metropolis, I will save you the bus fair. I had a much too long conversation with Perry White and there is no job waiting for you there.”

Siobhan lowered her eyes and Cat went back to her work with a dismissive wave of her hand and a quick, “Be gone.”

Kara watched Siobhan walk out feeling much too satisfied. Then she looked back into the office. There was something about Cat Grant being ruthless that was a huge turn on. 

That night, as Kara, James, and Winn were at the club, the fury inside Kara was only growing. She risked everything when she took off her glasses, not caring if anyone saw. James tried to bring her to her senses, but it was no use. 

Then Cat called asking if James could get Supergirl to come see her. James tried to keep Kara from going, but it was time to have it out with Cat. 

Across town, Cat waited in her office, unsure if Kara, er, Supergirl would even come. She was obviously in a bad spot. But still, Cat had never seen her compromise her position as Supergirl by letting a bad guy get away. Cat wanted to ask her about it. And she also wanted to let her know that there was video footage out there of it. 

Not too long after she had called James, she saw a flash of blue and red as Supergirl landed outside on the balcony. 

Cat turned to greet her, but Kara just coldly said, “What do you want?”

“I would like to know if Ashton Kutcher and his camera crew are hiding under your cape.” She walked toward Kara, who just rolled her eyes. “Supergirl would never release an alien caught in the act of an armed robbery, so I assume I am being punked.”

Kara looked angry when she said back, slowly, “I wouldn’t assume anything from now on, Cat.”

Cat immediately replied, “Did you just call me ‘Cat’?” She didn’t mind Kara using her first name, but she said it so maliciously. 

“You branded me in the media as a girl scout. Supergirl is brave, kind, and strong.” She quoted the words with an attitude. “Isn’t that kind of a stock characterization? Very two dimensional. Everyone knows real people have a dark side.”

Cat saw those same distant eyes in Supergirl that she has seen earlier that day in Kara. She hid it, but she was beginning to feel uneasy. She tried to reason with her. 

“Yes, but you don’t get to be a real person. You’re a superhero. You get to represent all the goodness in the world.”

“Yeah, well I’m sick of it. And you know what else I’m sick of?” Kara drew her hands out from her sides and turned out toward the city. “Enabling all of you in your victimhood.” She rested her hands on the edge of the balcony. 

With a mocking tone, Kara went on, “Oh, well, my building is burning down, la dee da, Supergirl will just swoop in and save the day.” Cat crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “Well, get used to the flames, people, because I quit.”

Cat didn’t know how to reason with her so she fell back on her default reaction. Sarcasm. “Supergirl,” she began. “I fear that you are having some sort of a mental breakdown. Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us and I’m happy to take you to Dr. Schuman for emergency Lexapro. That is if your alien brain will respond to DSSRI's. But, in the meantime, I would lay low. This haughty attitude is highly unsuitable.”

Kara narrowed her eyes and took a step closer to Cat. Cat forced herself not to take a step back. It wasn’t in her nature to back down.

“Well, I learned from the best. Cat Grant. You are the most arrogant, self serving, mean spirited person I know.”

Cat schooled her features and made them hard when she responded, “Now you listen to me,” she whispered, “I made you. And you are not going to let me down.”

“Or what?”

“What?” Part of Cat couldn’t believe that this was coming from Kara. Her sweet and caring Kara. She wished she understood what was happening. 

“Wait, I forgot,” Kara said, sardonically. “You’re the most powerful person in National City. At least, that’s what they say on TV.” Then Kara stepped into her space, and Cat couldn’t deny it. She was afraid. 

Kara’s tone was menacing. “You wanna know what real power looks like? Watch.”

Then, suddenly, before Cat knew what was happening, Kara had grabbed her, hard, and threw her over the balcony’s edge!

Cat plummeted toward be ground at terminal velocity! Images from her whole life went through her mind as the earth came closer. She flailed uselessly. She couldn’t think of anything. There wasn’t time to think anyway. 

On the balcony, Supergirl looked over the edge, waiting for Cat to hit the pavement. Then Kara screamed from within herself. She breathed in sharply, her hands flying to her head, trying to maintain control. 

Her eyes shot open and everything looked like it did before. Then she remembered. Cat! She flung herself over the balcony and flew as fast as she could! Cat. What had she done? The ground was so close. But at the very last second, Kara scooped her up. 

But the second she touched down, she felt a now familiar wave of darkness sweep over and Kara Danvers was pushed down again. She roughly tossed Cat to the ground. 

“True power, Cat, is deciding who will live and who will die.” Then as she turned to take off, she said one more thing. “And, don’t ever call me again.” With that, she was gone. 

Cat was breathing hard. She felt like she couldn’t move. The adrenaline coursing through her was making her shake. 

Some by standers quickly came to her aid, helping her up, steadying her, and making sure she was okay. 

She slowly made her way back into CatCo and across the lobby. Everyone around her was shocked. She was shocked. They watched her make her way inside. She kept her head up and hid her lingering fear. 

She stepped into the private elevator and as soon as the doors closed, she began to sob. She slid down to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest. She’d never been so terrified. She let the tears come. She allowed herself to feel the emotions. 

And Kara. What about Kara?

She sat on the floor of the elevator for several minutes after the door opened. She sniffled a little and then wiped the tears from her face. Standing, she made her way back to the office she had just been in shortly before. 

She stopped at Kara’s desk and looked at it. It was neat and tidy, like Kara. Cat ran her fingers over the edge of the desk and thought. She closed her eyes and lowered her head. 

She stayed at the office that night. There was too much to do to go home. Within hours, she was writing a press release that she would read on the air, denouncing Supergirl. 

James and Winn tried to talk her out of it, but she explained that her obligation was to the people of National City. They couldn’t promise that the city was safe from Supergirl, so neither could Cat.

It was one of the most difficult things she had ever done. She told everyone to stay away from Supergirl, that she was dangerous. Just saying the words seemed wrong. But she had to. 

When they were finished recording, she averted her eyes as she wiped away a single tear. She wanted to cry more, but she already had been all night. There just weren’t any tears left. 

That day, Kara went on a tirade. Citizens were calling CatCo throughout the entire day, giving them updates on things they had seen her do and where she was. CatCo kept the public informed as best they could. 

Cat’s producers kept calling her and asking if they should get live crews out to cover it and she kept telling them no. The last thing she intended to do was broadcast Supergirl's fall on live television. She kept glancing out at Kara’s desk, half expecting her walk in like normal. 

Finally, that night, calls poured in about a battle between Supergirl and some government organization. And another alien who appeared to be working with them. According to eye witnesses, they had neutralized Supergirl and taken her away. 

At the DEO, Kara’s eyes blinked open. The red haze was gone. And all the memories came pouring back to her mind. She sobbed as Alex tried to reassure her. She had done so much damage. How could she? She felt horrible. And guilty. 

After her tears subsided and Alex released her comforting grip, Kara told her, “I have to go. I did something to someone that I have to apologize for.”

Alex nodded her understanding and quietly asked, “Cat?” Kara just nodded and Alex said, “She’ll understand.”

Back at CatCo, Cat was pouring herself a drink. She sighed deeply. She hoped Kara was okay. She wished she knew where she was, where she had been taken. If she knew, she’d be there in an instant. 

She slowly made her way out onto the balcony. She did an almost imperceptible double take when she saw the familiar red and blue figure sitting on the arm of one of the easy chairs. She smiled inwardly with relief. Then she nonchalantly stepped over to the balcony’s edge. 

Kara’s wonderfully soft voice spoke. “I love this city.” Cat smiled a little at that because, after all, she felt the same way. “The lights. All the windows. I love that behind every window, there’s a story.” 

Cat turned to watch her talk and she saw the soft face that she was accustomed to. The soft eyes and the soft voice. She took a breath and just listened. “Someone’s eating take out with their boyfriend. Someone’s playing board games with their kids.” She paused, her emotions almost overwhelming. “To me, every person in this city is a light. And every time I’ve helped one of them, a little bit of their light has become a part of me. I have never been happier than when I’ve been Supergirl. I know what happened wasn’t exactly my fault. My brain was altered.”

Kara’s usual honesty was back in place and Cat hide to fight the urge to go and hold her. Then Kara said, “But it brought something inside of me, out, that was mean and horrible.” 

Then she stood to face Cat and took a few steps toward her. “What I did to you, Ms. Grant, I-,”

“Oh, please,” Cat cut her off, softly. “I’ve base jumped Mount Kilimanjaro, do you really think you scared me?” Then it was her turn to be honest, “Okay, yes, you did scare me.”

“I know,” Kara said. “I scared the whole city. And now I’m so afraid that I’m never gonna win them back.”

“Well,” Cat took a breath, “if you came here for me to tell you that everything is going to be okay, I can’t do that. It’s not that easy.”

Kara’s voice was shaky. “I know.”

But Cat wasn’t finished. “Now, I said it wasn’t going to be easy, but I didn’t say it would be impossible. Personally, I don’t believe in failure, not if you get back up and face the music.”

Kara gave her a hopeful look. This is why she loved Cat. She always inspired her. “It takes time,” Cat said, “but if anyone can win this city back, it’s you.” Cat looked at her. Kara could see that she believed in her. And it was everything. 

She wanted to say more, but she couldn’t find the words. Then Cat set her drink down and came closer to her. She gently placed her hands on either side of Kara’s face. 

Kara felt tears stinging her eyes at Cat’s reassuring touch. “Hey,” Cat whispered. 

Kara quickly responded, “I know. No crying at work. I’m sorry.”

Then Cat smiled at her and stroked her cheek. “Now, I’ve only had that conversation with Kara Danvers,” she said quietly. 

Kara’s closed her eyes and sighed at her own mistake. Or was it a mistake? She honestly wasn’t sure. She let her forehead rest against Cat’s and Cat stepped as close as she could. 

Kara asked her, “I never had you fooled, did I?”

Cat whispered back, “Never.” She let her hands slip down from Kara’s face and settle on her chest. Kara lifted her hands to Cat’s hips and just barely let them touch her. She was too afraid of being pushed away. 

Their foreheads were still touching when Cat said quietly, “I was afraid I lost you today.” They were so close that their noses touched. 

Kara shook her head slowly. “Thinking of you was the only thing that kept me grounded. Everything came back to you.”

Cat bit her bottom lip. She was consciously making herself not kiss Kara. She wanted to so badly. Kara was thinking the same thing. Cat smelled so good and her lips were so close. But they both knew that Kara was too fragile. At least right now. 

Cat breathed out a slow breath and pulled her head back, looking at Kara with a smile. “We can’t do this right now.” 

Kara smiled the tiniest smile back at her. She knew Cat was right. She also knew that Cat’s words left a promise for the future. She finally pulled her hands away from Cat and took a step back. Cat let her hands slip away from Kara, too. 

She just looked at Cat and asked, “Can I just sit here for a little while?”

“Of course,” Cat told her. Kara sat back down on the arm of the chair. Cat picked up her drink and rested an elbow on the balcony’s edge. They stayed in comfortable silence like that. Just them, and it was all the comfort Kara needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was a lot of Supercat shipper's fav episode. Hope I did okay with it.


	17. Manhunter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was literally zero Cat/Kara interaction in this episode, other than a flashback. 
> 
> So it's short and sweet and mostly Cat's POV.

Cat paced around her house slowly, thinking. She walked across the foyer, down the hallway, passed Carter’s room then back down the hallway. She walked through the living room, passed the dining room, and through the kitchen. Then she found herself back in the foyer. 

She sighed. She missed Kara. She had been distant after everything that had happened with the red kryptonite. Even after their talk on the balcony that night, she still seemed discouraged and guilty. And she had called in sick to work today. 

Cat had seen the news reports of the foiled bank robbery. But even though Supergirl had helped catch the bad guys, the citizens of National City were still afraid of her. Cat was positive that Kara calling in was directly related to the bank robbery. Kara’s light was growing dim and Cat didn’t know how to fix it. 

She walked into the kitchen and poured herself a drink. She took a sip and then resumed her pacing. After making another round through the house, she made her way into her home office. She sat down at her desk and checked her email one last time before going to bed. 

She sighed as she opened her email, deciding that she would respond to the time sensitive ones tonight and deal with the rest in the morning. Then her eyes fell on one name in the ‘From’ column. Kara Danvers. One side of Cat’s mouth quirked up. 

She opened the email, expecting to read an apology for missing work that day. She was greeted with something else, entirely. She knew something was off when she read the first line. 

‘Dear Ms. Grant,’

Cat furrowed her eye brows immediately. Kara never began her emails that way. She always started with just ‘Ms. Grant,’ or no salutation at all. She knew Cat was always trying to be as efficient with her time as possible so she never put words in an email that took up space with no purpose. It took longer to read and Kara was always trying to make things as quick and as easy on Cat as possible. 

She kept reading. 

‘I’ve been your assistant for a shockingly long time,’

Cat stopped again, shaking her head, narrowing her eyes this time. There it was again. Kara would never use a word like ‘shockingly.’ Another useless word that Kara might say, but wouldn’t take the time to type. 

‘And I’ve never let you know how I really feel about you.’

As Cat continued reading, her eye brows lifted. In the two paragraph tirade that followed, Cat read words and phrases like ‘slave driver,’ ‘bitch,’ ‘ungrateful,’ ‘two faced,’ and more. Cat couldn’t believe it. She glanced up and checked when the email was sent. Maybe Kara sent it when she was still under the influence of the red kryptonite. But, it looked like it was sent just after she left CatCo that night. 

Cat sat back in her chair and took another sip of her drink. Was Kara trying to get fired? Was she trying to make Cat angry? Cat ran her finger along her bottom lip, considering. She took another sip of her drink. She leaned forward and read the email again. 

She grinned a little as she tried to imagine Kara saying any of these things. Sweet Kara. Even red kryptonite Kara wouldn’t have said this stuff. 

She sat back again and reached her conclusion. No, Kara hadn’t sent this email. But if she didn’t, who did? She took another sip. She would have to get the computer droid on it in the morning. 

Meanwhile, across the city, out in the desert at the DEO, Kara was dealing with her own crisis. Lucy and another military officer were threatening to take Hank and Alex. Kara was doing her best to keep control of the situation, but it was quickly escalating. 

Before she knew what to do, both Alex and Hank were being led out of the DEO in handcuffs. They were taking them to someplace called Project Cadmus. Kara had no idea what it was or what to do. All she knew is that her sister was in shackles being dragged away from her. 

She had to figure something out.   
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next day, Cat called Siobhan and asked her to come by later that evening. Kara wasn’t working again. That was two days without her latte. And a Danvers smile. She was getting edgy. Having people cover for Kara was tiresome. They were all incompetent. 

The only bright spot in the day was looking forward to the conversation she would have with Siobhan that night. 

The girl came in, late, as usual. Everyone had gone home, which was the point. No one else needed to see this. Cat watched Siobhan smile as she passed Kara’s empty desk. Obviously, Siobhan thought she as here for a different reason than Cat intended. 

“Siobhan, come in,” Cat told her. “Make yourself comfortable. I would offer you a cappuccino, but as you can see, we’re a bit short staffed at the moment.”

Cat played into Siobhan’s hopes just so she could dash them momentarily. She knew it was low, but she didn’t care. This was the second line Siobhan had crossed. 

“What happened to Kara?” Siobhan’s tone was a bit too enthusiastic for Cat’s taste. 

“Mmm, funny you should ask,” Cat said. “I very rarely have to say this, Siobhan, but I think I made a terrible mistake.” Cat pulled her features in to mimic sincerity when she really just wanted to punch Siobhan’s smug smile right off her face. 

The young girl just asked, “Oh?”

“Mm hmm,” Cat began, enjoying what was about to happen. “Kiera has been a tremendous assistant, as I’m sure you observed during your brief time here,” Cat saw the arrogant look on her face falter, so she kept going. “But who could have ever thought that under that prim little sweater set was a simmering cauldron of rage just waiting to boil over.”

“I don’t understand,” Siobhan lied. 

“She sent me an email,” Cat told her. Then she stood up and slowly walked to the opposite sofa to sit beside Siobhan. “Telling me what she thinks of me in terms that are, well, highly unsuitable to repeat in a professional setting.”

Siobhan just leaned in and it irritated Cat. It was like she thought they were girlfriends having a gossip session. 

“She called me names that I haven’t heard since my last mediation with my ex husband.” Cat slowly fiddled with a throw pillow, acting casual, making Siobhan feel a false sense of ease. 

“That is so surprising,” Siobhan lied again, trying to look shocked. 

Cat changed her tone and it quickly became less friendly. “Yes, I thought so too. That’s why I found someone who did an obsessive study of Kiera for the past two years.”

Cat glanced up with her own smug smile. Siobhan followed her eyes and saw Winn standing in the doorway. 

“Winn?”

“I analyzed the typing speed and patters on the hard drive. It didn’t match Kara’s, but it did match yours,” Winn informed her, with his face downcast. 

Cat picked back up. “I don’t have very many regrets, Siobhan, but I do regret firing you the first time. I wish to God that I could fire you again,” she paused and calmly added, “with feeling.”

“Ms. Grant, I can explain,” Siobhan tried to jump in but Cat quickly silenced her. 

“Oh no, oh no,” she said, waving her finger at her. “Uh uh, uh no. Save it for the police.” She got up and stalked behind her desk. “Because that is who you’ll be talking to if you ever pull something like that again.” Now her tone was just angry. 

“Now,” she calmed herself, “get out of my office and never come back.”

Siobhan rose and left the office. Cat watched her go, satisfied. She might not know how to help Kara, but she could certainly protect her within these four walls. She relaxed as her eyes followed Siobhan all the way to the elevators. She turned back to her computer. 

As for Kara, she was finally back in her loft. She sat on the couch, hugging a pillow to her chest. Alex and Hank were safe. Sort of. They had to leave and Kara had to watch her sister go. But it was for the best. 

Lucy was left in charge of the DEO. She was no Alex, but she would do a good job. Kara sat, trying to process the events of the last couple days. She sighed. There was only one person who seemed to be able to comfort her lately. 

Kara picked up her phone. It was late. But, knowing Cat, she was still at the office. Kara missed her. It felt like she hadn’t seen her for an eternity, though it had only been two days. 

Across the city, Cat worked for a couple more hours until the words on the screen began to blur together. It was getting late and she was tired. She glanced out to Kara’s desk, still missing her so much. 

She picked up her phone and opened the messaging app. She pulled up Kara’s thread and stopped, looking at the device. Her lips parted as she began to feel unsure. She just wanted to check on her. There was nothing odd about that. Right? 

Suddenly, as she was contemplating texting Kara, her message app dinged an alert. She jumped a little and looked down. Then she smiled. It was Kara. Of course it was. She quickly read the message. 

‘I know it’s late, but I figured you would still be at the office. I want to apologize for not being there the last couple days. I appreciate your patience.’

Cat was still smiling. Proper and professional, that was Kara, she thought. Cat quickly typed back. 

‘You know me too well. How are you feeling?’

She knew Kara was feeling fine. But still, Kara’s secret was still supposed to be a secret between them. Cat respected Kara’s space when it came to Supergirl. 

‘Much better. I’ll definitely be there tomorrow. Hot latte in hand.’

Then a moment later,

‘I’ve missed being there.’

Cat smiled again and responded. 

‘I’ve missed you being here. See you tomorrow.’

Cat put her phone down and sighed. Finally. Tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you wanted to see something with that flashback. There just wasn't a good way to work it into the story. And if you rewatch the episode, it didn't really fit in there either. I loved it, but it was random.
> 
> Ack! Can't believe we only have two updates left!


	18. World's Finest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some things were taken out of this one. All of Cat's throwing Kara at James, for instance. 
> 
> Some things were added. Kara and Cat flirting, for instance. 
> 
> Also, I hated that after Kara broke Cat's handcuffs, she just disappeared. So not Cat Grant. So I have her more of a part in the big show down.

Kara came into Cat’s office with the pink box that had just been delivered. She gave Cat a small smile and watched her eyes widen with anticipation. Cat slowly rose from her desk, eyeing the box. She walked over to Kara and lifted her hands. She let her hands just hover at the sides of the box for a moment. Then she gently took the box and turned back toward her desk. 

Kara rolled her eyes when Cat turned her back, though she was still smiling. There were so many things about the older woman that were endearing. This was definitely one of them. She followed Cat over to the desk. 

Cat reverently set the box down. She opened it slowly and Kara heard her take a small breath in. Kara smiled even bigger. She loved this woman. Cat put a hand on her hip and looked down at the cupcakes in the box. 

“Aren’t they exquisite?” It was a rhetorical question. Cat didn’t care what Kara thought about her cupcakes. She'd been looking forward to them all week.

Kara just said, “Yes, they look very yummy.” 

Then Cat tilted her head and shifted her eyes to Kara. “I can see it in your eyes, Kiera, that you want one.” 

There it is, Kara thought. That look that Cat had been getting more and more lately. She listened as Cat continued, “But you’re too scared, so instead you gaze longingly from a safe distance, wishing that you had one all of your own.” Cat walked behind her desk, saying, “Well, let me tell you, cupcakes like these, they don’t last. They get snatched up and devoured, and if you don’t act fast, you might miss your chance at one.”

Kara caught the teasing tone in Cat’s voice. She had been doing that more and more too. Flirting. They were both doing it. Cat did it with her words and with her eyes. Kara did it with her hands. She touched Cat, what seemed like, all the time. Light and noninvasive, still a little afraid of the newness of it. 

Things had changed between them. It was after the red kryptonite. Kara had needed comfort and Cat had been the one with the right words. That night on the balcony Kara knew that Cat knew she was Supergirl. There was something about the way she had talked to Kara. Like they were familiar with each other. Like they were close. Kara didn’t address it and neither did Cat. They didn’t need to. 

And now, here they were. Weeks later. Flirting with each other in Cat’s office. 

Kara crossed her arms over her chest and smiled at Cat, who had her eye brows raised. “Well,” Kara said, “what do I have to do to get a cupcake?” Then she leaned in and added, quietly, “Because the one I want is exceptionally exquisite.” 

Kara was surprised at her own words. Words were Cat’s thing. Cat seemed surprised too. A slow smile formed on her lips. She opened her mouth to speak and then paused. She smiled wider and settled on saying, “Maybe this exceptionally exquisite cupcake just needs a pull in your direction.”

They just smiled at each other. Kara dipped her head down and gave a small laugh. When she looked back up, she nodded a little at Cat, letting her know that she received the message.

After the quiet moment passed, Kara told Cat, “I have some work to get started on.” Cat was still smiling at her and she had to force herself to turn and leave the office, goofy grin still in place. 

At her desk, Cat turned her attention back to her cupcakes. “Mmm,” she picked up a second one, inhaling the scent of the icing. 

Not too long after that, something unexpected happened. Siobhan Smythe walked into the bullpen. Cat and Kara saw her at the same time and Cat firmly said with a loud voice, “Kiera, call security.” Then for effect, as always, she added, “I haven’t seen eyes that crazy since I had fondue with Ramona Singer.”

But Kara didn’t have time. She just stood, feeling protective as Siobhan eyed Cat. She authoritatively said, “Siobhan, I’m sorry, you can’t be here.”

Siobhan slowly walked toward Kara, and menacingly said, “You ruined my life, Kara Danvers.” What happened next was painful. Siobhan opened her mouth and let out a deafening shriek! 

It was so loud that the people around her were blown back. Cat covered her ears, along with everyone else. But Siobhan kept screaming until Kara was thrown back, shattering the glass as she fell through the window.

A few people yelled out, “Kara!” Then Cat bolted to the window, along with James. They were just in time to see a streak of fire catch Kara and run her to the ground and away from CatCo. They turned to each other with shocked faces. 

Cat shot around to face Siobhan and stalked up to her. The smug smile on Siobhan’s face immediately faded as she took two steps back and then turned and practically ran out of the offices before Cat could say anything. Cat turned back to the open window. Then she surveyed her shocked employees. 

She schooled her features to look in control and made a show of straightening her clothes. Then she said, nonchalantly with her hands out in a questioning manner, “Why is everyone standing around? Chop, chop.” She walked back into her office and everyone quickly went back to work. 

She sat back down on the sofa. Kara is fine, she told herself. She tried to settle her nerves and waited for Kara’s return. 

Sure enough, only a short time later, Kara returned, in different clothing. And she had company. She rushed into Cat’s office trying to dismiss the incident from her earlier. 

“Kiera,” Cat said, casually. “You’re alive.” She didn’t seem the least bit surprised. 

“Ms. Grant, don’t worry,” Kara was smiling a little too brightly and her tone carried a fake over enthusiasm. “I was rescued.”

“Stop stating the obvious,” Cat responded and Kara quickly turned off the fake smile. She didn’t know why she kept this game up with Cat. Maybe habit, she thought. 

Cat continued, “You’re in the middle of breaking news and I want you to act like it. And yes, yes, another of my ex employees went all revengy, but,” she paused, turning her laptop around as Winn and James entered. There was video of the streak of fire that had caught Kara. 

Then Cat said, “There’s a new superhero in National City. This is huge. Direct competition for Supergirl.”

Kara jumped in. “He doesn’t have to be competition.”

Cat’s tone became sarcastic. Why were the millennials always questioning her? “Would you prefer a sidekick?”

The new guy quickly interjected, “No, not a sidekick. Uh, more like an equal, or an ally. Uh, a partner, maybe.”

But he was met with Cat Grant’s signature glare. She didn’t say a word. She never had to with that glare. 

The new guy took the hint and just said, “Speaking was the wrong choice, I see that now.”

“All four of you standing there, doing nothing,” Cat said, “You look like the attractive, yet non threatening, racially diverse cast of a CW show. Who are you?” Her glare was still aimed at the new guy. 

Then all four millennials tried to jump in. James, Winn, and Kara all saying at the same time, “He’s my cousin.” Cat just looked irritated. 

The new guy finally said, “No, my name’s Barry Allen, I’m not actually anyone’s cousin. Uh, we’re just such good friends.”

“Yeah,” Kara jumped in, “it feels like we’re family sometimes.”

“Uh huh.” Cat didn’t buy it. But whatever. She closed her laptop. “Well, I need a clear picture of this speedster. James, that’s on you. And, Kiera, there are a lot of people who want to know what happened. Speak to no one, you’re mine, and I will let you know when you should release this exclusive information.”

Then Cat narrowed her eyes and looked around, thinking. “And now I have to name this hero. I was thinking about The Woosh, or the Red Streak or The Blur.”

Barry spoke again. “What about The Flash?” 

Cat glared again. “The Flash? Sounds like someone whose only super power is jumping out of an alley in a trench coat. No. I want mystery, I want intrigue, I want The Blur.”

Barry cringed, as he realized he’d never seen the comparison to his name and a flasher. With her eyes still narrowed, Cat said, “Boys be gone, girl stay.” 

The boys filed out and Kara adjusted her glasses, stepping closer to Cat’s desk. Cat looked to see that the boys were, indeed, gone and she was instantly on her feet, coming around the desk. Her expression softened as she asked Kara, “Are you alright?”

Kara smiled at Cat’s concern. She lightly put a hand on Cat’s forearm and said, “Of course I’m alright.” She rubbed her thumb on Cat’s arm and the older woman felt reassured. Kara asked, “What happened to Siobhan?”

“She just left. Not a word.”

Kara furrowed her brow. She didn’t like it. Something seemed off. She reached out and took both of Cat’s hands in hers. She saw Cat’s eyes dart out to the bullpen and then back to her. Kara said, “I have to help Barry with some things, but I’ll be back at my desk soon.” She stepped a little closer to Cat and finished with, “I want you to stay here and wait for me.”

Cat just nodded and Kara left, glancing back at her over her shoulder. 

Kara was back at her desk within an hour. But not another hour went by when her phone rang. It was Lucy. Kara’s eyes widened as Lucy told her some news. Kara just said, “Okay,” before hanging up. She rushed into the office wondering if this day could get any crazier. 

“Ms. Grant, you have to leave now.” Kara was emphatic. 

Cat, dismissive as always, just said, “Kiera, I thought I told you to tell Bernie Sanders that I am not interested in hot yoga.” 

But Kara silenced her when she said, “Livewire has escaped. She could be anywhere now, but you know where she’ll come eventually.” Kara saw it. It was barely there, but she caught the worry skip across Cat’s face. “So head home and pack. I will arrange a car to take you and Carter to the airport and a plane and guards. I will take care of all the escape arrangements.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Cat's answer was firm. “I beat her once, I’ll beat her again.” Kara gave her a look. “Fine,” Cat admitted, “I had help. I’ll have help again.” She paused. “National City may have lost faith in Supergirl, but I haven’t.” She looked Kara in the eyes, adding pointedly, “And you shouldn’t either.” 

“Ms. Grant, please.”

But Cat just said, “Staying put.” Kara knew there was no moving her. Then Cat told her, quietly, but surely, “And we both know that the safest place I could be is right here. With you.” 

Kara sighed. She appreciated Cat’s faith in her. More than Cat knew.

Kara felt the protectiveness coming back again, as it had when Siobhan came in earlier. She just nodded to Cat and turned to leave. She quickly went to find Barry. With Siobhan and Livewire on the loose, she needed help protecting Cat. 

Barry agreed and they went to work. At the DEO they tracked Livewire and went to take her down. But they found that Livewire wasn’t alone. She and Siobhan had found each other somehow and teamed up. The two of them together forced Barry and Kara to retreat. They needed a new plan. 

But Silver Banshee and Livewire devised their own plan. It was time for Leslie to get her own revenge. They decided to kidnap Cat and use her to draw Supergirl out. Once Supergirl was out of the way, Siobhan could go after Kara Danvers. 

At CatCo, Cat was in her office on the phone. She glanced out to Kara’s desk. When she saw that the girl was gone, she quickly said, “I’ll need to call you back,” and ended the call. 

She called out to Winn, “Where is Kiera?” Cat hated to admit it, but she was uneasy. Two of her ex minions were out there and gunning for her. She wanted Kara close by. Not only because Supergirl was her best bet at protection, but because Kara’s presence simply calmed her. Without her, Cat had begun to worry. 

Winn just turned and looked at the empty desk. Cat didn’t give him a chance to answer. She made up a reason for asking about Kara. “Oh, well, when she gets back tell her I want her to book me a massage with the same physio that did wonders for Beyonce after her Superbowl performance.”

She saw the concerned look on Winn’s face and she turned away to walk back into her office. “Why are you looking at me like that, Winn, I am fine and I remain unafraid.”

Winn shook his head, surprised that she didn’t even bother to get his name wrong. “I didn’t question that, Ms. Grant,” he said, though she was clearly rattled. 

“Good.”

Suddenly, there was a crackle of electricity from behind Cat. She turned to see the streaks of white light coming from the televisions. A distorted noise came from them, but Cat and Winn were both able to make out the word, “Livewire.”

“Not good,” Winn said, getting to his feet as Livewire materialized in front of Cat. 

She looked at Cat with disdain and said sarcastically, “Better watch where you’re going, Cat, or someone’s going to have to declaw you.”

Cat just narrowed her eyes and responded, “You know, you really need to get some new material, Leslie.” Cat turned away from her and walked in front of Kara’s desk, resting her fingers on it. Where was she?

Leslie just continued, “Well, your days of telling me, or my friend, what to do are long over.”

Just then, Cat’s private elevator dinged, revealing the Silver Banshee. She looked different. Very different. But Cat wasn’t intimidated. 

“Oh, it’s you, Siobhan. I see that my ex minions have united. Strength in numbers? You should call Norma Rae and find out how it’s really done.”

James rushed in and tried to come to Cat’s aid, but Leslie instantly blew him back with a shockwave that sent him to the ground. Cat looked at him, worried. 

Then Siobhan said, looking at Cat, “You know, your voice is just about as grating as this.” She took a deep breath in, preparing to blast them with sound waves when Winn came up to her, trying to reason with her. 

But there nothing anyone could do. Siobhan sent Winn flying as Cat and Leslie covered their ears. Then they grabbed Cat and they were gone. 

Back at the DEO, Barry manufactured two small sets of ear buds that would block the shrieks from the Silver Banshee. But before they had time to make a plan, Lucy came in to tell them that Cat had been kidnapped by the two villains. 

Kara felt her heart race as she began to feel panic. Before she could think, Livewire appeared on the screens of the DEO's bullpen and she warned Kara to come and face them or Cat’s blood would be on her hands. 

Kara tried to calm herself. Cat had been taken while she wasn’t there. She felt instant guilt. She should’ve stayed with her. She looked to Barry. He nodded to her. 

They immediately took off to rescue Cat. 

The citizens in National City park scattered as Leslie threw bolts of electricity around. They wanted the park to themselves. The people ran, afraid of the two villains. 

Cat, Leslie, and Siobhan were out in the open, easy to spot. They waited for their opponents while they toyed with Cat. Leslie’s desire for revenge was growing with each passing minute. 

They had handcuffed Cat to a bench by her wrists. She hated the defenseless feeling. She was frightened. She kept scanning the sky, waiting for Kara. Leslie and Siobhan paced around her, making her all the more uneasy with their own uneasiness. 

Siobhan asked Leslie, “Think they’ll show?” 

“Don’t know,” she replied. “Don’t really care. Either way, I’m getting my jolts.” She looked at Cat with cold eyes, then continued, “You see Cat, I’m still fifty-fifty as to whether your heart’s actually beating, but I’m gonna stop it anyway.”

Leslie put her hand on Cat’s chest and the fear coursed through Cat. She needed to stall, give Kara time to get there. 

“No, Leslie, please don’t do this.”

“Begging? Well, I’m disappointed. What are you so afraid you’re gonna miss? Hmm? Another silly awards ceremony? Or a bunch of sycophants kowtow to the false queen and tell you how great you are?” 

Leslie’s anger was growing, but Cat kept trying to keep her talking. “No, I’m not asking for myself, I’m asking for my boys.” She watched Leslie’s eyes fall. Maybe she could buy enough time after all. “Please don’t take their mother away from them.”

Cat felt Siobhan run her hand across her back and she breathed a shallow, scared breath. 

Then, out of nowhere, she heard a familiar whoosh! She looked up and there she was. Supergirl. The Flash was with her and Cat’s relief was palpable. 

“Hey, Sparky. Shrieky,” Barry called out. “What do you say we step away from the nice lady, settle this like women.” 

Kara threw him a glance to which he responded, “What? There’s more of you guys here than me.” Kara gave a sarcastic look and turned her attention to Cat.

She met her eyes and gave her a reassuring nod. Cat nodded back but Kara could see that she was afraid. Everything in her wanted to get to Cat. 

Then Leslie just said to Siobhan, “Kill ‘em both.” Siobhan stepped forward and let out a ear splitting scream. It pushed Barry and Kara backward, but with Barry’s earbuds they stood their ground, unaffected by the noise. 

Siobhan looked to Leslie. They were both surprised. Kara took a couple steps forward. She tried to taunt them away from Cat by saying, “What, you lose your voice?”

After that, the fight was on! Leslie blew bolts of electricity at them, but they dodged. Leslie retreated into a nearby light post and then up the nearest building. Barry was on her tail quickly.

With Siobhan still on the ground, Kara rushed to Cat. Cat held up her cuffed wrists with an impatient expression. She firmly asked, “What took you so long?”

“Are you kidding,” Kara said back, pulling and breaking the cuffs free. Cat quickly stood and Kara put a hand on her shoulder saying, “Go.”

Cat furrowed her brow and took a hesitant couple of steps backward, not wanting to leave Kara. But Kara just repeated, louder, “Please, go!”

Cat turned and took shelter. She surveyed their surroundings, looking for some way to help as the fight raged on. Then she spotted a fire truck. She made a beeline for it, with a plan. Water had taken out Livewire before, it would work again. 

Meanwhile, Kara was busy fighting off the Silver Banshee when Livewire came and rejoined her. Just then, a news helicopter made its way to them. 

Leslie emphatically called out, “I hate helicopters!” She unleashed a massive stream of electricity in the helicopter's direction. Kara saw it. There was only one option. With super speed, she launched into the air and blocked the bolt before it could hit the helicopter.

But, then Kara fell unconscious. Her eyes closed and she was falling. She slammed into the ground, hard, throwing up a cloud of dust. She laid on the ground, awake, but helpless. 

Livewire and the Silver Banshee stalked up to where she was laying. She struggled, trying to get to her feet. 

Out of nowhere, Cat Grant appeared. She rushed in and placed herself in front of Kara, between her and the villains. She stood her ground with a glare to end all glares. 

Kara was just barely able to say, “Cat, no.”

But Cat just stared them down, saying, “You touch her over my dead body.”

“That can be arranged,” Leslie shot back. But something unexpected happened. The frightened citizens began murmuring among themselves. Kara could hear them saying, “She saved that helicopter,” then someone else, “She saved us all.”

The next thing they knew, the people of National City ran up, crowding around Supergirl, determined to keep her safe, one woman yelling, “You leave her alone!”

Leslie shouted, “Yesterday you people were ready to string her up. Now you’re willing to die for her?”

The same woman said, “She was willing to die for us.” Cat looked down at Kara she could see the emotion on the young superhero's face. This was it. The moment Supergirl won the city back. Cat’s heart welled with pride for Kara. 

But Leslie wasn’t finished. “What do say we thin the herd.” She slowly lifted herself into the air, shooting huge bolts of white light into the ground. Cat looked around. Were are they, she asked herself. 

Then, a blast of water shot toward Leslie, dousing her powers and sending her back to the ground. Everyone looked over to see the firemen with the fire truck turn off its hose. 

The same chief that had been there when Kara came in contact with the red kryptonite walked up to her as she was still trying to stand. 

“Supergirl,” he said. Kara looked up as he extended a hand to help her. “It was time for us to help you.” 

The crowd cheered as Supergirl was helped to her feet.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later, back at CatCo, Cat sat in one of oversized easy chairs on the balcony. She was watching the sunset. The pink box of cupcakes was sitting on the glass table between the chairs, almost depleted of its yummy contents. 

Her mind was running back over the day. From flirting, to Kara being tossed out a window, to a new superhero, Livewire escaping, and being kidnapped, Cat had had her fill. But then the day had ended perfectly. She smiled to herself as she remembered watching the people stand up for Supergirl. It was beautiful. 

She was snapped out of her memories when Kara came to join her. Cat scooted over and patted the small space next to her on the large chair. Kara smiled and came to sit. She settled in and looked at Cat, taking her in.

“Big day,” Kara said to her. 

Cat just nodded. Kara cleared her throat and did something Cat had been waiting months for. She reached up and slowly slipped her glasses off, setting them down next to box of cupcakes.

Cat raised her eye brows and said, “Oh, are we finally finished with that silly game?” Then she tilted her head and had to add, “Did I win?”

Kara was still smiling at her a little when she said, “The fire chief said that you came to them and told them that water would defeat Livewire.” Then her smile faded as emotion came over her. “You saved me. You saved everyone there.” 

Cat tried to keep the moment light. “Yes, well, someone has to step up when the resident superhero goes down. Who better?” She shrugged.

After a second, Kara stood and walked over to the balcony’s edge. She took a deep breath and turned to face Cat. She was serious when she said, “I loved the way you stepped in to defend me. But I need you to promise that you will never do it again. I can’t lose you like that.”

Cat stood, too, and came to stand in front of her. She was close. Close enough to hold and she just said, “I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”

Then Kara smiled at her again. They watched each other for a moment. Here they were, flirting again. Kara wanted to touch her so badly. She eyed the box of cupcakes and then looked back to Cat. 

“So, this morning, when you said that my exceptionally exquisite cupcake needed a pull in my direction, did you mean something like this?” Kara grabbed her hand and playfully pulled Cat against her, a little rough, and wrapped her arms around her.

It made Cat laugh and that made Kara laugh too. When the laugh faded she pulled back. Then she said, “Or did you mean this?” 

She lightly placed her hands on Cat’s small waist and gently pulled Cat into her. Cat was caught off guard at the intimate contact, but she didn’t resist it. She brought her hands up to Kara’s neck. 

They leaned into each other. They were looking in each other’s eyes, making sure this was the right time. Kara could feel Cat’s breath against her lips. Cat ran her thumb over Kara’s jaw and Kara closed her eyes as the simple touch made her feel so much. 

Cat came so close that their noses touched and there was no going back. Their lips came together and it was soft and it was perfect. Cat slipped a hand into Kara’s hair and pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. Kara’s hands roamed a little and came to settle on Cat’s rib cage, close to her breasts. 

They parted and already wanted more. But after this day, they just wanted to be together. Cat laid her head on Kara’s shoulder and Kara held her as tight as her strength would allow without hurting her. Cat felt safe after a day of feeling threatened. She breathed out against Kara’s neck and a shiver went through the younger girl. 

She threaded a hand into Cat’s hair and just held on. This was heaven. Cat Grant, the most amazing person she’d ever met, in her arms. She remembered thinking the thought earlier in the day and now it came back to her. She loved this woman.


	19. Myriad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing too far from Canon here. Just some Supercat feels.

Kara stared down from her loft at the street in disbelief. All the people, every one of them, were walking aimlessly through the streets. What was happening? 

All of Non’s threats came back to her mind. Myriad. This must be it. Though she didn’t understand what “it” was. What she did know was that it looked like everyone in the city was affected. Her brain kicked into overdrive as she thought of the people that mattered most. 

In seconds she was in the air and on her way to CatCo. 

She walked in and looked around. She had never heard the bullpen so quiet. Everyone was working at their stations. She eyes shot to Winn. She went to stand beside him, but it was like he couldn’t even see her. She rushed to James’ office and it was the same thing. She put a hand on him, trying to get his attention but it was no use. 

She came back out to the bullpen, looking to Cat’s office. She wasn’t there. Kara could only hope she was safe. Just then, as if she had conjured her, the private elevator dinged and Cat came walking out, sunglasses on, looking at her phone like everything was normal. 

She almost smiled when Cat started talking without looking up. 

“Kiera, call Harrison Ford and tell him that I’m flattered, but once and for all, I do not date older men, especially when they’re married.” 

Kara cleared her throat as Cat walked right passed her. The older woman stopped and turned. Looking surprised, she slipped off her glasses. “Oh. Supergirl, well what a pleasant surprise. What, do we have a nine am?” Cat looked back to her phone, checking her calendar. She still hadn’t noticed. 

Kara just said, quietly and relieved, “You’re not a mindless drone.”

Quickly returning an email, Cat replied casually, “No, I learned that lesson when me and Demi Moore wore the same dress to the premiere of Ghost. Never again.”

Kara stepped toward her. “Ms. Grant, listen to me. Everyone in the city is affected by this alien signal. They’re acting like automatons.” She turned back to the bullpen. “Haven’t you noticed?”

Cat finally looked up from her phone and surveyed her tempered employees. “Hmm, well, yes, they are a bit more quiet than usual.” She smiled mischievously and added, “Maybe my reign of terror has finally reached its peak effectiveness.”

Suddenly, Kara’s phone alerted her. She pulled it out. Cat’s eyes widened. “Ah, so you do have a cell phone. Can I get that number, please?”

“Superman,” Kara breathed out. 

“Oh,” Cat said, and asked, in all seriousness, “Can I get his number as well?” 

She quickly followed Kara, who made a beeline for the employee balcony. 

“He’s coming to help,” Kara said over her shoulder.

“He is?” Cat’s journalist instincts took over. She was curious. 

Kara ran out onto the balcony. Cat calmly followed. Kara scanned the sky, looking for her cousin. Cat scanned the streets. She saw all the citizens, walking through the city. 

“Oh, my god,” she said. “What’s happening to everyone?” 

Then Kara’s sharp eyes saw him. She reached out and pointed. “There he is!” She smiled as she waited for him to meet them on the balcony. 

But then, out of nowhere, he changed direction. He flew straight down, joining the others, obviously affected by Myriad. Kara’s smile was gone.

“What,” Kara whispered. “What? Oh, god, no.”

“What is it?” Cat saw the Man of Steel fly down.

“It’s Myriad. It’s affecting my cousin, too.” Kara couldn’t believe it. She needed his help to defeat Myriad. 

“Myriad?” Cat didn’t understand. But then she echoed Kara’s thoughts. “Wait, if it’s affecting Superman, then are any of us safe?”

A familiar smug voice rang out from behind them. “Well, I may not be Superman,” They both turned to see Maxwell Lord, standing in the doorway, impressed with himself, as always, as he finished, “but I do have my moments.”

After they were back inside they listened as Max explained why he was unaffected by the signal. Kara was livid for several reasons. How could he not give this information to the DEO and protect the city? He was so self serving, she couldn’t stand it. 

Then when he explained how he had put ion blockers in the earrings he sent to Cat, he had touched her. Not like a friend patting another friend on the back. He had touched her gently. On her beautiful face. He had pushed her hair back a little and Kara had to take a deep breath in to keep herself calm. She saw the way Cat stiffened at the touch. Kara knew her well enough to know that she didn’t like it. 

When he had turned away from her, Cat’s eyes glanced over to meet Kara’s. They could both tell how much the move had bothered the other. And they both kind of liked that. 

As Max was still basking in his small triumph, they heard a whoosh and looked out to the bullpen. 

Non appeared. He looked cold and already victorious. Kara immediately moved to put herself between Non and Cat. 

Kara, Cat, and Max all listened as Non monologued about how mankind was destroying Earth and Myriad was humanity’s only hope. They all grew equally as annoyed and insulted by his new vision for humans. 

Kara wasn’t at all surprised when Cat and Max both stood up to him. But Non wasn’t done with his display of power. 

Suddenly Winn spoke. “You’ve already turned us into drones.”

Kara rushed to him. “Winn. Winn, can you hear me?”

James spoke from behind her. “Your inventions have drowned out sense and turned it into nonsense.”

Winn continued, obviously not in control of himself. “But now everyone is united. Everyone’s creativity and thought dedicated to eradicating famine, disease, climate change.”

Kara looked at Non, trying to convince him. “This is not the way to solve the world’s problems.”

Winn looked at her. “Your heroics have done nothing to save the planet.”

“This is the inevitably of Myriad,” James said. 

Kara was getting uneasy. This was getting out of control. “Non, stop this.” 

“These are your friends, aren’t they,” Non asked her. 

“Let them go,” Kara begged with a whisper. Cat watched helplessly, sensing that something bad was about to happen. Any doubt she had that Kara and Supergirl were one in the same was washed away as she saw how worried Kara was for Winn and James. 

Then Non said, “I have lived with loss.” His voice was low with hatred. “Allow me to return the favor.”

James, Winn, and Kelly all rose and headed in three directions to three different balconies. “Kelly?” Cat walked after her favorite fashion reporter, trying to get her attention but it was no use. 

“Winn. Winn, stop!” Kara was almost shouting in desperation. “James.”

The three realized what was happening. “Oh my god,” Cat said quietly.

Max rushed into Cat’s office after one of them. “No. No, no, no.” He tried to get there in time, but it was too late. 

Cat, Kara, and Max were all shouting at once, trying to stop them, but they all climbed onto the balcony’s edge. 

James directed one last word to Kara. “Catch.”

All three went over the side! 

Kara flew her fastest. But as soon as she saw all three fall, she knew she couldn’t get them all. She swooped down, grabbing James and Winn, but Kelly was too far out of reach. She watched, horrified, as Kelly hit the ground!

Kara turned her head away immediately. After James and Winn were on the ground, still drones, but at least safe, she slowly flew back up to the office floor. She walked inside. Non was gone. Coward. 

Tears were welling in Cat’s eyes, though she was focusing on not letting them fall. Kara looked at her. She didn’t want to have to say it. Cat saw that her eyes were full of compassion and she knew Kara hadn’t been completely successful. They held each other’s eyes for a moment before Kara just quietly said, “Kelly.”

Cat closed her eyes and a few tears ran down her cheeks. She wiped them away as quickly as she could and Kara fought herself to stay put and not gather the woman in her arms. She knew Cat wouldn’t want that. Not right now. Cat would want her to focus.

Some time later, Cat was in her office, on the phone with Anderson Cooper. They were friends and he called as soon as what was happening in National City hit the news. Cat was filling him in as best she could. 

Kara was leaning against her desk. Max was sitting on the waiting area’s sofa. 

Max looked at her and began, “Before you and I sang kumbaya and decided to be friends, I was working on a weapon to kill the Kryptonians. All Kryptonians.”

Kara crossed her arms over her chest and stuffed her anger down. “What kind of weapon?”

“A bomb,” he answered quickly. “Filled with kryptonite dust. It’ll irradiate the entire city.”

The thought alone made Kara sick. The effects of kryptonite on her and her kin were almost indescribable. The pain. The discomfort. Dying from kryptonite exposure was like burning to death slowly.

Kara couldn’t say anything. Cat came up, still talking into the phone. She had been multitasking and listening in. “Anderson, can you hold on a scosche.” She walked up to them. “I’m sorry, forgive me, but won’t that kill Supergirl and Superman?”

“Not if she flies up and detonates it over the city’s center. Then she and he skedaddle. She won’t be able to come back to National City for fifty years or so, but that’s small price to pay to save the world, right?”

But Cat was already laughing at him. It was ridiculous. Fifty years. 

Kara quickly asked, “What about the human beings? Will they be affected at all?”

Max hesitated, “The concussive force used to displace the kryptonite dust will result in some losses.”

“Hmm,” Cat hummed. That was enough for her. Why were they still talking about this plan? “Anderson, I’m going to have to call you back.” She ended the call and asked, “What exactly are we talking about, Max? Losses?”

He hesitated again. “Eight percent of the population.”

Cat couldn’t believe it. She raised her voice. “Eight percent of the population! Eight percent of four million people. That is over three hundred thousand people, Max.”

“Versus the seven billion people on the planet that Non wants to turn into zombies,” he shot back. 

Cat looked to Kara. “Are you seriously considering this?” 

But Kara didn’t answer. They both had valid points. She turned away. She couldn’t look at Cat. Cat had a way of making everything black and white and, for Kara, this situation was very grey. She didn’t know what to do. 

“She is,” Max answered for her. “And she knows it’s our only chance.”

The two of them went on pleading their cases until Kara had to get out of there. She walked away from both of them and headed to the balcony. 

Cat and Max just looked at each and then turned away in opposite directions. Cat decided to give her some time to think. Max went to ready the weapon. 

After about ten minutes of pacing through her office, Cat looked out to the balcony across the bullpen. Though Kara’s back was to her, she could see the heaviness in her shoulders. Cat shook her head slowly realizing the burden Kara must feel. Cat believed that there had to be another way other than Max’s plan. But she needed to get Kara to see that. 

She made her way across the floor and pushed open the door to join Kara. She spoke after a moment.

“I’ve always liked the view out this window,” Cat said quietly, taking a few steps toward Kara. “Wish I had it from my office.”

Kara turned toward her. She knew that tone. Cat was about to tell her something important. Something that would undoubtedly sway her in Cat’s direction. This was when she needed Cat’s ability to make things black and white. The other woman always had a way of making the way clear for her and she needed that now. 

She listened as Cat went on, taking her own steps to stand next to her. “I like looking at the park. All the people. Mothers pushing their strollers, kids playing. I wonder which of them will die in Max’s moronic attempt to save the city.”

Kara closed her eyes. There it was. Kara just looked at her, exasperated and out of answers. “I don’t know how to fight this. What would you have me do?” She held her hands out, questioning. 

Cat’s tone was still confidently quiet when she said, “You could come up with a better plan than irradiating the city and killing thousands of people.”

Kara propped her elbows on the balcony’s edge and dropped her head to her hands. Cat’s heart broke for her. But she forced her feet to stay where they were. This was Kara’s decision. She knew if she so much as touched Kara that the young girl would break. 

“My mother was faced with this decision on Krypton.” Cat’s eyes softened. She had never heard Kara talk about Krypton. She had always wondered. She had always wanted to hear, but it never seemed like the right time to bring it up when she was talking to her as Supergirl. And she always tried to respect that Kara obviously didn’t want her to know her identity. 

“To act, or do nothing,” Kara continued. “And she chose wrong. I love her, but she didn’t save Krypton like she promised. And my planet died.” Cat’s heart ached with the obvious pain Kara felt when she talked about her mother. “My culture, my home, my parents. Everything was just wiped from the stars.” Kara paused for a long time and then asked herself, “How can I let that happen again.”

That was when Cat realized how afraid she was. She had seen everything she loved die and now she was facing the same thing again. But this time there was a way to stop it. Even if the way was wrong, Cat understood why she would consider it. The pain of watching another planet turn to dust and ash was too much. 

Cat took a breath. “I know you’re scared. I am too. But so is Max, and so is Non, for that matter.”

Kara breathed easier listening to Cat talk. “All of you are letting your fear guide you. But somebody has to find the courage to stand up even though they’re afraid.”

Cat took a few steps closer when she saw Kara finally look at her. She felt the bond between them growing in this moment. “You know, some of the worst decisions I made in my life were based on fear. But you showed me there was another way to be strong. By having faith in people, by believing that goodness would prevail.”

Kara saw the soft look cross Cat’s face. Kara had never seen her look so vulnerable. She stood up a little taller, hanging on every word. “And because of you I started letting people in.”

Cat hated keeping up the pretense as she continued, but she knew it was important, so she talked about her like she didn’t know. She laughed a little and said, “I even opened myself up to my assistant, Kiera, who helped me have a relationship with my son again.”

Kara felt the hope Cat was offering begin to root it’s way in. “Now, I can’t tell you what to do, Supergirl. But you have taught me that hope is stronger than fear.” Cat looked down to the crest on Kara’s chest and smiling, pointed to it. “And that is what I think of every time I look at that. You’ve changed me. And I am not easy to change. And I believe that you can change everyone out there. Not with violence, not with fear.”

Kara finally smiled and Cat knew that she had given her the confidence she needed. So she finished with, “Just be Supergirl. That’s all anyone’s ever needed from you.”

Kara looked at Cat with the warmest smile and took the last step to close the distance between them. “Thank you, Cat,” she said, wrapping her arms around her. Kara held her close and Cat did the same. 

Any doubt she ever had of Kara’s identity was gone as she smelled the familiar scent of her hair and felt the familiar touch of her fingers on her back. The ones she had felt a hundred times guiding her through a door or comforting her after a long day. 

Then she realized that it was never Kara who would break if they ever touched. It was her. She felt the walls of her heart cracking as she held onto Kara. She didn’t want to let her go. But then it was Kara who pulled back and whispered, “That gives me an idea.”

They walked in to where Max was working, side by side. Kara’s renewed hope was unwavering and soon they had convinced him. 

Now they just needed an analogue signal. Neither Max nor Kara had any idea where to find that these days. They were thinking out loud to each other about how to make one when Cat just cleared her throat and held up one eyebrow, hands on her hips. She asked them sarcastically, “Are we done wasting time?” 

Shortly after that the three walked into the old KXOU building. It was Cat’s first building. Kara couldn’t help but think of how far she had come. How much she had built. Cat unlocked door after door, giving them access to everything they would need. Kara loved that Cat had kept all the keys to a building she hadn’t used, or even set foot in, in years. For all the times she said she wasn’t sentimental, Kara knew that it was one more thing that had changed about Cat. 

Still, Kara felt like she needed to ask, “Will any of this equipment even work?”

“No reason why it shouldn’t,” Cat said confidently. It may old but it was top of the line in its day. She began pulling the cloth covers from the panels.

Max set about bringing the equipment back to life. Cat went to set up the control room. Kara went back outside to make sure the coast had stayed clear. She went back over the plan in her mind. It was a simple plan. Inspire. 

It was Cat’s thing, really, but it was beginning to rub off on Kara. If they could just show the people a symbol. Something that was familiar. Something they believed in enough that it would break the signal that Myriad was controlling them with. 

She turned to go back inside, heading to the control room to find Cat. She paused at the door and smiled when she got there. Cat was walking slowly around the room, running her fingers over everything she walked passed. It was the first time Kara had seen her tolerate dust. A tiny smile was on Cat’s face, no doubt going through a thousand memories. 

Kara couldn’t help asking, “What are you thinking?”

Cat turned to her. “I forgot how much this place means to me. Everything started here for CatCo.” She slowly went and stood in front the sound boards and control panels, setting her fingers on the dials. 

Kara knew she loved CatCo. It was like a child to Cat. Now, that child had grown into an adult and being back here was like pulling out the child’s old toys. She felt emotion over every piece of material. 

Then she walked over to where the clip boards were hanging on the wall and smiled bigger. She looked at Kara, pointing to them. “I remember all this.” She turned back. “Every employee, every story. I was so passionate about the news. I was idealistic, believed that good journalism and optimism could make the world better.”

Kara came up to stand beside her. “So not much has changed then. Same Cat, different building. Maybe I didn’t change you. Maybe you’ve just come full circle.”

Cat turned to look at her. They were close to each other. Kara couldn’t help herself. The moment was so quiet and Cat looked so good. She lifted a hand to touch her face, stroking her thumb over Cat’s cheek. In the face of the apocalypse, there was no other place she wanted to be. 

Cat saw Kara’s eyes change. They became less Supergirl, and more Kara Danvers. Sweet and affectionate. Cat just said, “Careful, Supergirl. You’re in danger of giving yourself away.”

But Kara whispered back to her, “Maybe I don’t care anymore.” 

Slowly, they began to lean into each other. But then, suddenly, there was a loud noise from outside that made them both jump. Their eyes widened. 

“Stay inside,” Kara told her, withdrawing her hand and quickly leaving the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one update left! Finale and Season 1 Epilogue.


	20. Better Angels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a good time for a reminder that these are stand alone. So the moment between Cat and Kara at the end of the last chapter didn't happen here. 
> 
> Not to worry, *holds finger in the air* I made another moment. 
> 
> Nothing too far off canon. As usual, some added things.

Max and Cat stayed inside the KXOU building while Kara had gone outside. Cat was in the broadcast room, Max in the control room. They could hear the sounds of a fight outside but stayed focused, working furiously on the task at hand. 

Cat looked up and could see Max’s concerned face as he worked.

“She’ll be fine,” Cat said to him. 

He looked at her for a second and then nodded, continuing his work. 

Finally, the sounds of fighting outside stopped. The two looked at each other through the glass separating the room. They stopped and waited with elevated heart rates. 

A moment later, Kara came back inside. Cat and Max both breathed a sigh of relief. Then they noticed that she wasn’t alone. Kara, Alex, Eliza, and Hank came to stand in the hallway connecting the two rooms. 

Cat recognized two of them. She narrowed her eyes, remembering Agent Mulder. She had met him at CatCo the night Livewire first attacked. She thought Kara had talked with him more than necessary. Now it made sense. The younger woman she recognized from a photo on Kara’s desk. Her sister, Alex. 

Kara looked at Cat from the hallway and Cat quietly asked, “Everything okay?” Kara nodded.

“Um, this is, uh,” Kara was trying to quickly figure out a way to explain the new additions to their merry crew, as she looked to the three. 

Cat could see her struggling. Kara was trying to decide. Keep her secret, or finally let Cat in. But Cat decided for her. “There’s no need for explanations,” she said. Kara looked at her thankfully. “But we are in a terrible rush.”

“Right,” Kara replied. 

“I could use some help in here,” Max said. Eliza, Alex, and Hank headed to the control room. Cat motioned for Kara to come sit at the broadcast desk. Kara came and sat. Cat sat herself on the desk, facing Kara.

Cat had a clipboard in her hand with a speech that she had hand written. She began going over it with Kara. Alex and Eliza watched from the other side of the glass. Kara had absentmindedly placed her hand on Cat’s knee while Cat was talking to her. She was nodding as Cat talked. Then they observed as Cat gently pushed Kara’s hair behind her ear, leaving her fingers to linger for a long second, still quietly talking to her.

Both women raised their eyebrows and looked at each other. “Well, well, well,” Alex said, with a tiny smile. She walked over to help Max. “So, what’s the plan?”

“A speech.”

“A speech?” Alex questioned. It seemed kind of simple. 

“About hope.” Max explained the plan to break the Myriad signal by blocking its ability to reach the correct part of the brain. They were going to reach the people by broadcasting a message and symbol of hope. 

In the broadcast room, Kara was reading over the speech. They made a few changes as they went over it. It was good. Kara was trying to memorize it. “Say it out loud,” Cat told her, “It’ll help it stick.” Kara looked at her and took a deep breath and began reading aloud. Cat nodded. Good. This will work, she thought. 

“Do you really think this will work?” Kara’s tone was doubtful. 

Cat smiled at her. “I do. I believe in you. I told you that you could win this city back and you did. If anyone can reach them, you can.” She took her hand and Kara quickly covered it with her other hand, holding Cat’s one hand in both of hers. They looked at each other. Something had shifted on the balcony a few hours ago. After hugging one another, they realized that the light touches were providing comfort that they both desperately needed. 

Kara took another breath and Cat asked, “Ready?” Kara nodded. Cat turned to leave the room. 

“Okay, we’re ready,” Max said, not completely confident. 

“Okay, she’s ready, too.” Cat came to stand with the others. 

Max gave the signal. “In three, two,” he pointed to Kara. 

She began the speech. “People of National City, this is Supergirl.” She hesitated, feeling unsure. But then she said, meaning every word, “I hope you can hear me. We have been attacked. Mothers and fathers, friends and neighbors, children, everyone, suddenly stopped by a force of evil as great as this world has ever known.” 

Kara looked into the lens like she was trying to will herself through it to reach every person. “Your attacker has sought to take your free will, your individuality, everything that makes you who you are.”

At CatCo, the broadcast appeared on the televisions in the bullpen. Winn stopped his aimless typing and glanced up to the screen. Something stirred in him. One by one the people around him began to look up, blinking their eyes as they recognized Supergirl. 

“When facing an attack like this, it’s easy to feel hopeless. We lose our strength, lose ourselves. I know. I lost everything when I was young.”

At the DEO, Lucy turned toward the screens in the control area as she recognized Kara’s voice. She looked around as the other agents also looked toward the screen. 

“When I first landed on this planet I was sad. But I found out that there is so much love in this world. Out there for the taking. And you, the people of National City, you helped me be who I’m meant to be.”

As Max typed away, the crest of the house of El appeared on screens around the city. Televisions, computers, phones. The symbol of Supergirl. The symbol of hope. 

“You gave me back to myself. You made me stronger than I ever thought possible and I love you for that. Now, in each and every one of you there is a light. A spirit that can’t be snuffed out. That won’t give up. I need your help again. I need you to hope.”

James looked up, hearing Kara’s familiar voice. He saw Winn standing at he door of his office. He shook himself, snapping out of his Myriad induced apathy.

“Hope. That you will remember that you can all be heros. Hope. That when faced with an enemy that is determined to destroy your spirit, you will fight back and thrive.”

Lucy took in a deep breath and her eyes opened wide as the symbol came across the screen in front of her. Vasquez turned around to look at her. They saw the truth of what was happening on each other’s faces. Lucy grabbed her phone. 

“Hope. That those who may have shunned you will, in a moment of crisis, come to your aid. Hope. That you will see again the faces of the ones you’ve loved. And perhaps the ones you’ve lost.”

The broadcast was playing on the jumbo screen in CatCo Plaza. As the citizens wandered by in their haze, they began to stop at sight of Supergirl. Then their phones began ringing. They began pulling out the phones revealing the symbol of hope.

Alex’s phone rang. It was Lucy. Phones began to ring throughout the control room, the symbol appearing on each of them. Alex answered her call. She turned to all of them. “It’s working,” she said. 

She rushed into the broadcast room and gave Kara a smile. “It’s working,” she told her. Kara smiled back in relief. 

When Kara came back in to the control room she saw Cat on the phone and heard her saying, “Yes, darling, I’m fine. Where are you? Are you safe?” No doubt Carter was the first person she called. 

Kara turned to the others. Eliza came up to her and hugged her tightly. Hank simply told her, “Good job, Supergirl.” Even Max was smiling. Alex was at her side with an arm around her shoulders. Kara was smiling back at each of them and they all talked excitedly. 

She turned her attention to Cat, standing in the corner, making another call. She listened to her say, “James, are you alright?” Then, “Is everyone else okay?” She saw Cat close her eyes and sigh with reassurance. “Yes.” Pause. “Tell anyone who wants to leave to check on their loved ones to do so. But if there’s anyone who wants to stay and tell the world what happened today, I’ll be back shortly.” She ended the call and looked toward the group. Her eyes met Kara’s and they smiled softly at each other. 

Only a few minutes later, Cat was alone in the control room, pulling the canvas covers back over the control panels. She took the clip board that had Kara’s speech attached to it and hung it back on the wall, running her fingers over the paper.

Kara came in quietly. “Hey,” she said. Cat turned toward her, giving her the soft smile again. “We’re going to head back to the DEO to make sure the signal has been destroyed.” 

Cat nodded and turned back to her task of straightening up. Over her shoulder she absentmindedly said, “I’ll see you back at the office later.”

They both froze. 

Cat slowly closed her eyes, realizing her slip. She turned to face Kara. The girl was staring at her with her mouth open a little. After a long silence, she asked Cat, “You knew the whole time?”

Cat nodded again. She didn’t know what to say. So many months and now it was out in the open. Then Kara asked, “Why didn’t you say anything?” As soon as the question was out, Kara realized it was a foolish one.

Cat raised her eye brows and smiled incredulously. “Are you serious? I confronted you. Twice.” Then Cat dipped her head and put her hands on her hips. “And you made it clear that you didn’t want me to know.”

Kara quickly walked up to stand in front of her. “No,” she said. “No, I always wanted you to know.” She put her fingers under Cat’s chin and guided her eyes back up. “Always.”

Cat smiled at her again. Kara really liked that smile. She took her fingers from Cat’s chin and ran them lightly through her hair, settling her hand on Cat's neck. 

“Cat, I-,”

Just then, Alex walked in saying, “Hey, Kara, we need to get going-,” She stopped with her eyes wide when she saw that she had interrupted the intimate moment. “Damn it, sorry,” she said, quietly. 

“It’s okay,” Cat said quietly, not taking her eyes from Kara’s. “We have time.”

Kara nodded slowly. “I’ll see you soon.” She took a few steps backward and then followed Alex out the door. 

Cat was left alone, taking a deep breath.   
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“What are you saying?” Kara asked Max.

“I’m saying that since we ended their mind control, the Myriad wave has been amplified. Ten fold. And is rising exponentially.” 

Max explained to Alex, Kara, and Eliza that Myriad's signal would continue to increase until human brains could no longer tolerate it. Or in his words, “Pop goes the cranium.”

“The Kryptonians couldn’t control us, so instead, they’re going to kill us.”

They stared at him in disbelief. How could this happen? After everything they’d already been through. 

“Once the wave reaches its full potential, the electromagnetic energy will create enough force to-,”

“To kill every human on the planet,” Kara finished for him.

Alex asked him, “How long do we have?”

“Four hours.” Everyone in the bullpen looked at him. 

“Find the source,” Alex told him. She and Lucy left to check on Jonn. 

After they were gone, Max knew what Kara was thinking. “Even if we find the source, you have no back up, no resources. If you go out there and fight, you might win, but chances are this is a suicide mission.”

“You know I won’t stop,” she told him, firmly. 

“I just want you to know what you’re facing.” She turned to leave and then stopped. Turning back to Max, she said, “Hey, don’t tell Alex my odds.” 

Kara walked outside to see the sun rising. Her eyes slipped closed as she realized this may be her last sunrise. Turning her face toward the light, she breathed in a deep breath. 

Four hours, she thought. She opened her eyes. She had some things she needed to do. And Cat would be expecting her latte soon. She rose from ground and shot off like lightening toward the city. 

Not wasting any time, Kara walked quickly off the elevator, latte in hand. Winn quickly noticed Kara’s downcast face. “No offense,” he said, “but you kind of have that little hypoglycemic ‘I haven’t eaten in twenty-five minutes' look.” 

She stopped and turned to him, growing serious. She paused, looking at him. “I know I don’t say this often enough, but thanks. Thanks for being such a great friend. Always. Your friendship has been one of the best parts of my life.” She blinked tears from her eyes.

So did Winn, covering his emotion by offering her one of his Redvines. “Just eat a Redvine already, you’re getting all sappy.” 

They looked at each other for a moment when the moment was broken by a familiar call of, “Kiera!”

She turned toward Cat’s office as Winn said, “Go tame the beast.”

She walked into the office in time to hear Cat say, “Kiera, go get me one of those moon juice smoothies with the Chinese herbs that Gwyneth keeps talking about. I want one every two hours.”

She couldn’t help it. She smiled a little to herself. This woman. With all her quirks, secret habits, and beautiful ideas. She was everything. She slowly came up to the desk. 

She held out the latte. “So, you,” she paused, “but you hate Chinese herbs. And Gwyneth.” She set the latte down on the desk. 

Cat looked up at her and corrected. “Not true. I don’t like the Coldplay guy, but ever since they consciously uncoupled I like Gwen more than ever.” She stopped her work and clasped her hands together on the desk. She looked at Kara. “You see, Kiera, we have been through hell the last few days.”

Kara hated to admit it, but there was something that had become endearing about the way Cat got her name wrong. She knew it was on purpose. She kept listening when Cat said, “We survived. Lesson, don’t ever take life for granted, take care of yourself, reject the latte and drink the green juice. Carpe diem.”

Kara just turned to leave and seek out the desired smoothie like it was any other day. She stopped herself and slowly turned back to Cat. Because it wasn’t any other day. It might be the last day. The last chance. 

“Ms. Grant?” She wasn’t sure where the line was anymore after last night. ‘Cat’ or ‘Ms. Grant?’ Touch her or don’t?

“Hmm,” Cat absentmindedly hummed in response. 

“I just want you to know that working for you is a true honor.” She smiled and continued, “You are my role model and you lead the city with such strength and grace and underneath that prickly exterior,” she paused and affectionately watched Cat work for a second. She hesitantly cleared her throat before finishing, “you have the biggest heart of anyone I know. I just, uh, I’m just trying to say thank you for being such an amazing mentor, and friend.” 

She looked at the woman. She had so many words begging to come out of her mouth, but she held them in, still so unsure. Yes, in the last twenty-four hours things had changed between them. But she was still scared. 

Cat stopped her work. Pulling off her glasses, she nonchalantly said, “Okay, so that was either my eulogy or your dictated suicide note,” her voice softened and she asked, “is there something you need to tell me?”

Kara simply smiled widely back at her. “No, no. I’m just taking you advice, I guess. Carpe diem.”

But Cat just looked at her. Kara’s smile faded under the scrutiny. Cat knew her too well. 

Still sitting at her desk, Cat asked her, “What is it?” 

Kara faltered. She looked down at the floor and furrowed her eye brows together. She didn’t know what to say. Cat rose from her chair and came to stand in front of her. 

She put her fingers under Kara’s chin, just as Kara had done the night before and she lifted Kara’s eyes to meet hers. She asked again, quietly, “What’s wrong?” 

Kara looked at her, fighting every instinct to wrap her up and take her someplace safe. But there was no safe place. 

Cat could see the struggle on her face. She slipped her hand over Kara’s cheek and waited. “Um,” Kara breathed out a shaky breath. “The, uh, the Myriad signal is still operating.”

Cat lowered her hand and looked confused. “What? How?”

“Non and his sidekick amplified it somehow.” She hesitated to tell Cat the whole truth, but then, what was the point in stopping now. “It’s going to keep amplifying until it kills everyone.”

“Everyone in National City?”

Kara shook her head slowly, “No, everyone.”

Cat brought her fingers to her lips, thinking. “What do we do?”

“You,” Kara said, reaching out and taking one of her hands and taking a step closer, “don’t do anything.”

Cat reached out and took her other hand. “Well, what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to stop it. For good.” She looked at the floor again. “But it’s risky.” She said it with a shaky voice.

She looked back up and saw Cat searching her eyes. Cat’s expression changed. Kara saw her chin quiver with her realization. Cat whispered, “You might not come back.” 

Kara barely nodded. 

They stared at each other. Cat pulled on her hands and brought Kara closer. Then Kara decided it was worth taking the chance, because maybe, just maybe, after all the hope that the citizens had offered to save themselves and their loved ones, maybe she could take some for herself. 

She didn’t even try to stop the words from coming out. “Cat, I love you.” Cat’s eyes shot to hers and held them. “I have loved you for so long. Um,” she searched for how to explain it, “at first it was just a crush. I mean, you are Cat Grant. But then, I was with you every day and I saw the things no one else saw.” 

She watched Cat’s eyes soften. God, she’s gorgeous, Kara thought, trying to keep her mental train from derailing. There wasn’t much time. Kara’s eyes were welling with tears again, but so were Cat’s. “There are so many things that make you beautiful, Cat. I wish I had time to just sit with you and tell you every single one. But all I have time to say is I love you.”

Then it was Cat who was speechless. So instead of saying something she slipped her hands to either side of Kara’s face. She leaned forward and Kara’s eyes slowly closed as Cat brought their lips together. Kara’s hands found Cat’s waist. It was one kiss. It was soft and it lingered. And Kara wanted more. 

But Cat pulled back and took a deep breath. She mustered every bit of confidence she had and looked Kara in the eyes. “I’ll say it when you come back to me.” 

Kara breathed out the shortest laugh in relief. That sounded fair. She nodded. She had to tear her hands off Cat’s waist. She turned to leave, stopping at the door and looking back for a moment. 

After she was gone, Cat walked back to her desk and picked up the latte Kara had left. She clutched it to herself like a lifeline.   
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Kara was back at the DEO in minutes, convincing Lucy and General Lane to let Jonn help her. She could only defeat Non and Indigo with his help. They agreed and the two were in the air, heading toward the source. Heading toward Fort Roz. 

They spotted the downed fort deep in the desert. As expected Non and Indigo quickly met them, having no intentions of giving up the Myriad signal. 

The battle between the four of them raged. Non and Kara, Jonn and Indigo. Finally, Non pushed Kara over the edge when he said, “Tell your parents I say hello.”

Her fury was uncontainable. She shot back, “Tell them yourself.” With that, she unleashed her laser vision. Non did the same and the two beams collided in the space between them. 

Kara tried to push forward, but she was being pushed back, her boots sliding across the sandy terrain. But she summoned every ounce of strength in her. She took step after step closer. With one final push, she gave it everything, sending Non flying backwards, his brain burned. 

She turned in time to see Jonn holding Indigo above his head. With a mighty roar and a great show of strength, he pulled her body into two pieces. 

She rushed up to him with a smile. “We did it! We won! Let’s shut down Myriad.”

But Indigo wasn’t done yet. She sputtered out, “It can’t be shut down, fools. I locked the system. The engines won’t fire. You won’t be able to fly Fort Roz away. All you’ll be able to do is watch everyone around you die.” Then she dropped her head to the ground. Dead. 

They looked at each other. Kara knew immediately what she had to do. It was the inevitability she was hoping desperately to avoid. The last option. She was suddenly terrified. With a last look at Jonn, she took off to the top of the Fort. 

Getting a firm grip underneath it, she began to push. She pushed with everything she had. She felt the massive structure come free from the earth and she pushed harder. The metal squealed under the strain. 

She pushed it above the desert mountains. She thought of her mother and father, hoping they would have been proud of her. She thought of Jeremiah and Eliza. 

She pushed it through the clouds, feeling the moisture inside them as she passed between. She thought of Winn and James and Lucy. Her best friends. 

She pushed it into the stratosphere. The blue sky began to turn from blue to purple. She thought of Alex. Her strength. Her hero.

The purple sky gave way to black and stars. Images of Cat flashed through her mind. Gravity was gone and the fort slipped from her fingers. Cat typing away behind her desk. She felt her breath leaving her. Cat standing on the balcony looking over the city. Kara’s eyes slipped closed and she locked one last image behind her eyelids. Cat looking at her with that soft face and that small smile. 

Then there was only blackness.   
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Kara blinked her eyes open. Slowly. They ached. She tried to move. Her muscles felt drained of strength. She sat up slowly. 

Then she saw Alex as she came to stand beside the medical bed. Kara asked her, “What happened?”

Alex quietly answered, “You saved the world. Then I saved you, with your pod. You’re not the only badass in the family.”

She laughed. It hurt her abdomen, but it felt so good. Alex laughed with her. 

They walked out to the DEO bullpen together, greeted by the claps and cheers of their fellow agents. Lucy gave her a tight hug and it gave Kara a big smile. 

After congratulations were handed around, Kara looked to Alex. “I have to go. There’s someone I have to see.”

“Cat,” Alex said, knowingly. Kara just nodded, smiling. 

“Go.” With one last hug with her sister, her savior, she was out the door and in the air. 

Cat was on the balcony. She had a drink in her hand. She needed it tonight. She had felt the signal release its hold when the deafening ringing in her head had stopped. She knew Kara had succeeded. But every hour that she didn’t return, Cat felt her heart sinking. 

She should have said it before Kara left. She kept kicking herself. She took a sip of her drink. She had come out to the balcony to wait. If Kara was alive, she knew she would come to find her. And she knew this was the first place she would look. 

Just then a familiar whoosh came from beside her. She jumped a little and her eyes widened as Kara appeared before her with super speed. She was smiling at Cat. 

Cat was frozen in place. Her lips were parted and her eyes betrayed her emotion. She slowly reached her hands out to Kara, like she was afraid she wasn’t real. 

Kara could see the struggle, so she took the steps to close the distance. When she was close enough to touch, Cat grazed her fingers along Kara’s face. Kara closed her eyes as the touch echoed through her whole body. 

She whispered to Cat, “It’s okay, I’m here.”

Cat’s hesitation was gone and she reached her arms around Kara’s shoulders and pulled her close. Kara put her hands around Cat’s middle and drew her in, tight and secure. She wrapped her arms as far around her as she could. So tight that Cat’s toes hovered barely off the floor. 

“I thought you were gone,” Cat said into her hair. 

Kara smiled into her neck. She finally released her hold. She didn’t realized she had picked Cat up and she gently placed her feet back on the floor. 

Cat pulled back, her hands still holding onto Kara. She didn’t hesitate when she said, “I love you, too.” Kara breathed out a laugh. Cat smiled at her affectionately. 

This time it was Kara that brought their lips together. Not chaste like the first time. But full of passion. They pressed against each other, their relief coming out in this kiss. Their lips moved together and their tongues touched over and over. 

Kara’s hands wandered over Cat. Cat’s lips wandered over Kara. She came to rest her head against Kara’s shoulder. She whispered again, “I love you, too.”

Kara could hear in her voice how afraid she’d been. They held onto each other. All the fear and anxiety from the last few days leaving their minds. Kara always felt like she was the one keeping people safe, but right now, in Cat’s arms, it was like Cat’s life force was feeding her very soul. She had never felt so secure. 

Cat finally pulled back and smiled at her. It was the look. The one Kara saw right before everything went dark. Her eyes looked so gentle and the skin on her face glowed. One side of her mouth was turned up in that little smile. The one she got when something had touched her emotions.

She took Kara’s hands and said, “Come sit. Talk to me.” She lightly pulled Kara over to the easy chairs on the balcony. They sat down together in one chair, still touching and holding hands and arms. 

Kara noticed Cat’s latte on the glass table. She furrowed her eyes and casually pointed to it. “Is that the latte I brought you this morning?”

Cat glanced at it and nodded. “It was the last thing you touched. I don’t know, I couldn’t let it go. All day. Is that weird?”

Kara laughed. “Not to me,” she said, reassuringly. Kara’s face became serious and after hesitating for a moment, she said, “I died.”

Cat stopped the movements of fingers across Kara’s hand. She looked at her, surprised. “What? What do you mean?”

“I had to fly the signal into space. My sister saved me somehow. But if she had been even a few seconds later,” her voice trailed off. But then she finished with, “I saw your face. Before everything went black. I saw your face, looking at me. And I felt,” she searched for the right word, “peaceful.” 

Cat just shook her head, torn between hating that Kara had to go through death, but honored that her final thought was of her. “That’s too close,” was all she said. 

She laid her head back down on Kara’s shoulder. They stayed on the balcony for hours. Talking, not talking, kissing, holding each other. 

The next day, Kara was at her desk eating lunch when Cat came up and unceremoniously dropped a box on her desk. “What, what is this?” She knew what it was, but from Cat, she didn’t know what it meant. 

Cat simply said, “Bankers box, typically used to carry one’s meager possessions as they are being escorted to the elevator in disgrace, or by force, if necessary.” She was playing with Kara. But Kara’s face looked shocked. She picked items up from Kara’s desk and began putting them in the box. 

Kara quietly asked, “What are you doing?” 

“Helping you pack.” After another few moments, all of Kara’s belongings were in the box. She picked it up and began walking toward the elevators, Kara following close behind. 

Kara went into assistant mode, not sure what she had done wrong. “Ms. Grant, whatever I did, whatever you think I did, I can explain.” Then Kara’s face turned confused as Cat made a sharp turn before the elevators. She walked down the hall of offices on the other side of the bullpen. Opening a door, still holding the box, she turned the light on. 

Kara looked around as Cat set the box down on the desk and turned toward her. 

Kara asked, “What is this?”

“This,” Cat said, “is your new office.” 

Kara was stunned. Her mouth fell open. “You’re not firing me?”

“Oh, no, no, no, no. I’m promoting you.” Kara slowly smiled at her. “Kiera, for the last two years, you have done nothing but arrange my travel, perfectly, and manage my schedule, flawlessly and, you have become the best assistant I have ever had. And that is why I have to give you up.”

Kara was still shocked. She tried to find words. “What am I,” she breathed out. “Wha, what do you want me to do?”

“Well, I want you to find me a new assistant for starters, and then I want you to take a few days. I want you to think about what you want. Think about what you might have to offer and then we’ll talk.” 

Kara had been walking around the room in disbelief. She came to stand behind the desk. “Really? Anything I want?”

Cat furrowed her brow and then amended, “Well, within reason. And the money won’t be much different, or any different. But this is a step up for you. This is your end of Working Girl moment. And if you take advantage of it, I really believe you can change the world.” 

They looked at each other for a moment and Cat turned to leave. She heard Kara call after her, “Ms. Grant.” She stopped and turned back. Kara said, “The end of Working Girl always makes me cry.”

Then there it was. That soft look that Kara had seen behind her eye lids. Cat looked at her with that tiny smile. “Me too.” Then she added after a deep breath, “If you work hard, there might be a window in your future.” She finished with something Kara had been waiting endless months to hear, “Kara.”

Kara smiled at her. She turned to leave again. But Kara just couldn’t let her go. “Cat?”

Cat turned again, the smile on her face was a little bigger. Kara walked around in front of the desk. Her mouth was open, but she didn’t know what to say. She was suddenly afraid. What if all these feelings, all the things they’d said to each other, what if it wasn’t real? All the kisses last night, what if they were just for the sake of comfort? What if Cat said no? 

Cat was still smiling when she smoothed her hands over her dress, nervously. She said, a little exasperated, “Just ask me.” 

Kara finally smiled, her fear melting away. She came up to stand in front of Cat and quietly said, “Can I take you to dinner tonight?” 

Cat looked down and gently took her hands and said back, just as quiet, “I would really like that.” 

They stood there in the hallway, in front of Kara’s new office, staring at each other with smiles on their faces, thinking of the possibilities to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!!! Especially those of you who commented so much. It was so encouraging. 
> 
> Thoughts on next season: I might make one where all the Supercat flows together instead of stand alone. I just loved writing all the first reveals and first kisses.
> 
> You are all amazing!


	21. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a little "day in the life of" after season one. It was meant to be short and sweet so it might seem a bit rushed. 
> 
> I just had to have a follow up of some sort.

SIX MONTHS LATER

Kara stirred from her sleep. She took a breath in and out slowly. Her eyes blinked open and she inhaled a familiar scent. She wrapped her arms around the small body that was laying on top of her. 

“Hmm,” Cat hummed, contentedly. “Morning.” 

Kara threaded the fingers of one of her hands into Cat’s hair and lightly scratched her scalp. 

“Feels good,” Cat said quietly, not moving an inch. Kara smiled. She loved how lazy Cat was in the mornings. They stayed like that until the alarm went off. Cat reached over and slammed the snooze button. She slowly resumed her spot laying over Kara, melting back into her. “Nine minutes,” she whispered against Kara’s skin. 

Kara finally spoke, “Happy anniversary.” She was smiling when she said it. 

Cat barely held up a finger to correct her. “Half anniversary,” she mumbled. “We are not celebrating a half anniversary.” 

Kara chuckled a little. “Oh, we are definitely celebrating a half anniversary.” 

Cat finally moved, propping herself up on her elbows. “No one celebrates a half anniversary. You’re ridiculous.”

Still smiling, Kara said, “I don’t care what everyone else does. This has been the best six months of my life, and we are celebrating it.” 

Cat smiled at that and leaned in to place a tender kiss on Kara’s lips. Morning Cat was Kara’s favorite Cat. Her hair was always a mess and she had to drag herself around to get ready. Every morning. It was adorable because it was such a stark contrast to who she was the rest of the day. And Kara was the only one that got to see it. But she was always so sweet in the mornings, too. 

“Half anniversary it is then,” Cat said. She cuddled back into Kara. “Six minutes.” Kara went back to running her fingers through the shorter hair. 

“I still can’t believe this sometimes. You and me.” Kara felt like she had to shake herself from time to time to remember that this was real. Like the times when Cat would pull her onto the balcony for a mid day make out session. Or when she would come to visit Kara in her office with a smile and a snack because she had learned Kara’s eating habits were like clockwork. 

But it was nights like last night that always made Kara think she was dreaming. When the love they made between each other was so deep that it left both of them trembling. Cat could make a simple touch say a thousand words. When Kara felt Cat’s skin on her, flush against her body, it was almost too much to handle. Everything about Cat felt amazing. 

Cat’s voice brought her out of her memories. “This has been the best six months of my life, too.” Kara gave her a squeeze. “Two minutes.”

They laid there together enjoying the closeness. Cat said, “Thirty seconds.” Sure enough, a few seconds later, the alarm went off. Cat reached up to turn it off. 

“How do you do that,” Kara whispered. It was rhetorical. She did it all the time. Cat’s ability to squeeze every second out of a snooze was uncanny. She really hated getting up in the morning. Especially since Kara came along. 

They set about readying themselves for the day. They were about to walk out the door when Kara said, “Shoot, I think I left my watch at my apartment.” 

Cat took hers off and handed it to Kara. “I have another one in my desk. This is another reason you should just move in.” Cat raised one eye brow at her. She had been asking Kara for weeks. But between their hectic schedules and Kara’s super duties, there just hadn’t been time. 

“I know, I know. You know I want to, right?” Cat simply nodded to her. 

They were in the car and driving into the city. Cat was in the passenger seat, already working. Returning emails from her phone and opening links to articles that her reporters had sent her for proofing. Only a few journalists had the privilege of having Cat Grant personally proof their articles. Only her best journalists. Kara was honored to be the newest edition to that group. 

Kara hadn’t needed a few days to figure out what she wanted to do. The next day she was in Cat’s office with an idea. “I want to be an investigative journalist.” Cat had smiled slowly. She loved the idea. Even more so because the evening before when they had gone to dinner, Cat had talked about her days as an investigative journalist and how she felt that it had been some of her most important work. Kara didn’t even try to hide that the inspiration for her idea had come from Cat. 

“What kind of things do you want to investigate?”

Kara had opened her mouth to answer and then quickly closed it, afraid that Cat might disapprove. But Cat had quietly told her, “Kara, you’re going to have to pitch me a lot of ideas, starting now. You need to be confident when you do.”

Kara nodded. “Well, two things. I want to cover environmental issues,” Cat nodded, then Kara said, “And meta human issues.”

Cat’s eye brows went up at that and she repeated, “Meta human issues. What do you mean?”

“You would be surprised how many meta humans there are in this city, in this country. But they have to hide who they are because society feels threatened by them. What if we were able to shed light on their struggles and somehow help.”

Cat smiled. That was her Kara. And it was a good idea. No other major outlet that she knew of had anyone dedicated to covering meta humans. 

“Okay,” Cat had told her, “put together a list of ideas for your first articles and we’ll talk about it more. But I like it.”

Kara had smiled wide. 

They always stopped at Noonan’s on their way to the office when they were together in the morning. Kara went inside while Cat continued to work in the car. When she came back out she kissed Cat on the cheek while she adjusted their drinks and food in the cup holders and such. Cat didn’t look up, but she did smile. 

“This is good,” she told Kara, reading something on her tablet. Kara just looked at her. “This thing on the man with the fire thing,” she said, indicating Kara’s article on a man in National City who had been in an accident at a lab when a fire broke out. He had been left with the ability to make fire from his hands. 

“It is?” Kara was always surprised when Cat liked her work. After all, dating or not, she was still the Queen of All Media. 

“Mmm hmm,” Cat said, taking a sip of her latte. “I mean, we need to restructure some things, but the content is good.” Kara was still learning to write and Cat was enjoying every minute of teaching her.

“Thanks.”

Soon after, they were riding Cat’s private elevator up to the main office floor. They talked and smiled, holding hands. They made plans for that night for the half anniversary that Kara insisted on celebrating. 

When the elevator slowed to signal that they were almost there, Cat cleared her throat. Here it comes, Kara thought. Cat slipped her sunglasses back on so she could make a show of taking them off. She lifted her chin and pursed her lips. 

The elevator opened and Cat exited quickly ahead of Kara. She turned on that gorgeous sway in her hips as she walked into the bullpen. “Why is no one in my office who is supposed to be? Let's go, people, are we fighting alien mind control again?” People rushed into her office for the daily content meeting, trying to get there ahead of her or otherwise be counted late. 

She took her glasses off dramatically and came to stand in front of her assistant’s desk. This was the fifth one in six months. Thank God, this one actually showed some promise. “Who the hell are you?” Cat asked the question with a harsh tone, looking the girl up and down. Kara pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. 

“I, uh,” the girl stammered. “I’m your assistant, Ms. Grant. Christine. I, I’ve been here for three weeks.”

“Oh, well, Kirsten, I need you to clear anything on my schedule after six pm, I’ve made new plans. And, for God’s sake, tuck in your shirt.”

Cat kept walking into her office, sarcastically making up some story about her yoga instructor pissing her off that morning and how they had better be ready to work. 

Kara mouthed an apologetic, “Sorry,” to Christine and followed Cat into her office. She loved this. Knowing that the bitchy persona was all an act. She loved watching Cat run a room. 

These meetings were different for Kara now. She wasn’t just taking the minutes. She was an active participant, pitching stories and contributing to other people’s stories. She liked it. Though she had had to learn to step out more. But Cat gave her confidence every step of the way. 

Halfway through the afternoon, Alex called while Kara was in her office. “Hey,” Kara picked up with a smile always happy to hear from her sister. Except that right now Alex was calling as a DEO agent and needed Supergirl’s help. Kara’s face fell as she checked the time. “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

She crossed the bullpen and quietly knocked on Cat’s office door. She looked up at her and flashed a smile. Since they had started dating, Cat smiled so much easier than she used to. 

“Hi,” Cat said softly, waving her in. Then she saw Kara’s expression and her smile faded. “What is it?”

She held up her phone. “Alex called. I have to go.” Cat could hear the disappointment. She checked the time and understood. She stood up from her chair and came to stand with Kara, taking her hand. 

“Maybe it won’t take that long. We have time.” She knew how much Kara had been looking forward to celebrating their half anniversary and, even though she thought it was silly, she thought it was adorable. And so very Kara. And she would give anything to make Kara happy. Even celebrate a half anniversary. 

Kara’s face grew hopeful and Cat said, “Let me push the reservation back a bit.” Then Kara smiled. “Just come and meet me back here when you’re finished.”

Kara nodded. She leaned into Cat and kissed her softly on the lips. “Thank you.” Cat’s response was a simple smile. Kara took a breath and grudgingly left the office. 

She met Alex and other agents outside of the city where a group of aliens had been holed up. Their objective was simply exploratory. They knew the aliens were there but didn’t know anything about them. They just wanted to talk. 

What followed was brutal firefight. Kara, Alex, and the other agents were pinned down. It took hours to work their way out of the mess and take everyone in to the DEO without hurting them. 

Once back at the bunker facility, Kara was debriefed which took even more time. Finally she was ready to leave and Alex noticed her sad face. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Alex asked her. 

Kara shook her head a little. “It’s nothing. It’s silly. Cat and I were supposed to go out tonight.”

Alex looked confused. “You’ve had to cancel on her before. She’s always understood.”

“I know. I just, today was special. I wanted it to be special.” Alex just looked at her like she knew she was missing something. 

Kara blurted out, “Today is our half anniversary.” She threw her hands up. It took Alex a second before she understood. Then she had to keep herself from smiling at her sweet sister. “I know it’s silly, Alex, but it’s important to me and it took a lot of convincing to get her to celebrate it with me.”

Alex just reached her arms around Kara and hugged her. Things like this are what made Kara who she was. Alex told her, “It’s not that late. Go find her. I’m sure you can still do something.”

Kara gave her a little nod and walked out the door. She flew as fast as she could against the setting sun. 

Cat was waiting patiently in her office. She had cancelled the reservation instead of pushing it back. She knew Kara would be later than she thought. She made a few changes to her wardrobe and fixed her hair. After touching up her makeup, she made sure everything was set. 

She squinted her eyes as she popped a bottle of champagne, pouring two glasses. Half anniversary, she thought to herself, taking a sip of her drink, so ridiculous. But she was smiling as she thought it. How she ended up with someone like Kara Danvers was a mystery that the universe had yet to explain to her. But she had never loved anyone more fiercely. 

Just then, she was broken from her thoughts when Kara came rushing into the office, smoothing out her clothing and adjusting her glasses. 

“Cat, I am so sorry. That took way longer than I thou-,” she stopped short when she saw Cat. Her eyes went wide as she stared and her lips parted. “You look amazing,” she breathed out. 

Cat had changed into a strapless black dress that rested just over her breasts. Kara could see the dip in her chest and she had to pull her eyes up. But then her eyes darted right back down to observe how the dress clung to Cat. Every inch of her body looked accentuated somehow. Kara felt her mouth go dry. 

“You look really amazing,” she said again. 

Cat slowly walked up to her, happy the dress had had its desired affect. She handed Kara a glass and simply tilted her head toward the balcony door. Kara willing followed her out. As they walked out, she took a breath in. Candles were placed all around the space, setting it aglow. Cat had to rearrange some furniture to pull it off, but it was worth it. She could tell she had caught Kara off guard. 

There was a table and two chairs set up in the middle of the balcony with candles on it as well. Cat had gotten take out from all of Kara’s favorite places. Kara eyed the large bowl of pot stickers in the center of the table. 

She had a shocked smile on her face when she asked, “You did this for me?” 

“Of course I did,” was Cat’s easy response. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Kara whispered back. Cat saw the look in her eyes. She reached out and took Cat’s glass, setting both glasses on the table. 

Cat knew what was coming. This was the part where Kara kissed her senseless. And she couldn’t wait. 

She smiled when Kara firmly put her arms around her waist. “Do me a favor and take off your glasses,” Cat teased her. 

Kara smiled wide as a memory came into her mind. She teased back, “I’d be blind without them.” She slipped her glasses off and tossed them aside, pressing her lips to Cat’s, roughly. Cat snaked her hands into Kara’s hair, pulling it free from its restraints and threading her fingers through it. She gently pushed her tongue against Kara’s lips and Kara quickly opened her mouth to kiss Cat more fully. 

Kara began to press a little harder and her hands wandered over every inch of exposed skin that Cat’s strapless dress left. She dipped her head down to suck at Cat’s neck and Cat let out small moan at the contact. 

Cat lightly nipped at Kara’s ear and then pulled her back in to kiss her mouth. No had ever kissed her like Kara. It was always full of emotion. Raw, unfiltered emotion. Cat could always tell how Kara was feeling by the way she kissed her. And right now, Kara felt good. 

Cat grazed her fingers under Kara’s shirt against her warm skin and Kara gently bit her lower lip before kissing her again. Kara’s passionate nature was one of the things she hadn’t been expecting when they started dating. Kara was so sweet and tender that it had surprised Cat how easily she got carried away physically. 

Kara pulled her in tighter and began trailing kisses from her neck to her shoulder. 

“Hey,” Cat whispered into her hair. Kara kept kissing her. “Hey, baby.” She drawled the pet name out. In all her years, she had never called someone ‘baby’ that she’d been in a relationship with. Something about it seemed childish. But it fit with Kara. 

She felt Kara smile against her skin. She looked up to Cat’s eyes. They smiled at each other. “I know you have to be famished,” Cat said. 

“You have no idea,” Kara replied, dipping her mouth back down to Cat’s neck. 

Cat laughed. “For food,” she said, with fake exasperation. 

“Oh, right!” Kara was enthusiastic as she pulled away and looked back to the table. She was starving, she realized. She smiled at Cat. “Did you get all my favorites?”

“Well, I tried,” she still had her arms around Kara’s shoulders, “but you like a lot of food.”

They both laughed a little at that. 

Cat placed a light kiss on her lips and her face turned serious. “I know you wanted tonight to be special.”

“Cat, this is amazing. I,” she paused, “no one’s done anything like this for me before.” She pulled Cat into a hug and the older woman closed her eyes, enjoying the closeness of it. 

When they pulled apart, Cat said to her, “Happy half anniversary, Kara.”

Kara smiled widely and looked away shyly for a moment. She loved that Cat had embraced this even though she thought it was silly. She looked back at her. 

“Happy half anniversary, Cat. I love you so much.” She brought their lips together again. 

Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks for the encouragement!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy. As always, thanks for reading!


End file.
